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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26216854">Wanderlust.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/blacklioness15/pseuds/blacklioness15'>blacklioness15</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>ATEEZ (Band), SEVENTEEN (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>ATEEZ (Band) Are Pirates, F/M, I wrote this ages ago, Jongho is kinda a wizard, M/M, Mentions of Menstruation, Mentions of Slavery, Multi, Other, Pirate!AU, Pirate!Ateez, Reincarnation, THis is a lot of tags WOW, a lot of blood tho, also a lot of people die, also i know nothing abt boats so i had to research, and get stabbed, at some point, but he falls in love eventually, but i don't like angst so it's none of the bbys, but mc is badass so it doesnt happen, dont even ask me, english is not my first language so pls bear with me, ha, i was sleepy most of the time, i'm really proud of this, jongho is an avid orgy member, like twice, main character is nonbinary, ngl, pls pretend everything is correct, sirens at some point too, thank you, there is attempted non-con at some point, there's light smut at later chapters, there's magic too, they're all whipped for mc, wooyoung is a playa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:27:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>30,273</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26216854</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/blacklioness15/pseuds/blacklioness15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“We got caught up into some things…” The captain answered, motioning to the crew, still not very fond of the idea of touching his enraged lover. “The redcoats are getting friskier lately, we got a new crew member, then we got arrested-”</p><p>It was a rough couple of months for the Treasure crew, to say the least.</p><p> </p><p>Park Seonghwa x OC</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Choi San &amp; Choi Jongho, Jeong Yunho/Kang Yeosang/Song Mingi, Jung Wooyoung/Original Male Character(s), Kim Hongjoong/Original Character(s), Park Seonghwa/Original Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I want to board your ship.”</p>
<p>Captain Hongjoong looked up from his wooden cup, pausing mid-sip from tasting his sweet, sweet ale; someone stood in front of his table, staring down at him – and him only, ignoring the few members from his crew that drank along with him.</p>
<p>One of his crew members, Yunho, scanned the brave soul who dared to talk to the famed Captain: black, curly, ear length hair, bangs dyed a vibrant red laying across his forehead; smooth olive colored skin, with a few dark dots littered over his face, neck and exposed shoulders and arms, along with a pair of onyx eyes covered by square-shaped glasses. His body was a little chubby, no doubt, but he was tall enough – maybe 3cm shorter than the Captain (who was the shortest crew member, but shhh, that’s something he didn’t like anyone knowing) -, with average sized arm muscles and thick thighs covered by brown trousers.</p>
<p>“What’s your name?” Hongjoong finally asked, and the other crew members – a boy named Yeosang and his friend, San – watched the interaction with excited looks on their faces.</p>
<p>The boy blinked once, twice – startled by the fact that the captain actually paid attention to him. Then, he cleared his throat, and with a clear voice, stated:</p>
<p>“Me- Max. Maxwell.”</p>
<p>“And what, exactly,” The Captain stood up slowly, his shoulder length, sandy colored hair moving around with the movement. “makes you think we want you in our ship?”</p>
<p>The boy deflated a little bit, but then he seemed to remember something that made the confidence come back to his form.</p>
<p>“Word goes around,” Max said, and the crew noticed his accent. “that your crew gets injured a lot, and you need someone to help with that. I can be that someone.”</p>
<p>Hongjoong raised a brow.</p>
<p>“I can also cook, clean and do whatever jobs needed.” The boy shrugged his shoulders, still looking up at the captain. “I honestly just need a ride to an island in the South.”</p>
<p>“So, you would be of help, and then run away?” Yeosang piped up, and the boy glanced his way.</p>
<p>“I can be of help, teach you something, and then go home.”</p>
<p>Each member could feel the longing on the stranger’s voice; it was something desperate, deep, with a tone of loneliness.</p>
<p>
  <em>Something all of them felt before finding each other.</em>
</p>
<p>“Some of the men had their bones jut out of their bodies.” Hongjoong said, and the hint of a smile played at his lips. “Something different ends fucked up each time we go into battle, and it makes me mad. You think you can handle it?”</p>
<p>“I think so, yes.” Max answered, now standing up straighter. “And if I can’t, I’ll learn to.”</p>
<p>“That’s the spirit!” San exclaimed, cheeks rosy from the single cup of ale he drank earlier.</p>
<p>Yunho smiled.</p>
<p>“Well then, Maxwell.” The captain extended his hand towards the foreigner, with a visible smile placed on his lips now and. “Welcome to the Treasure’s crew.”</p>
<p>Max clasped Hongjoong’s hand in his, shaking it excitedly, holding in a smile.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Captain. I’ll do my best.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. I - Treasure.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Maxwell is introduced to the Treasure Crew.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Yunho is the responsible for the flags and helps the Captain navigate, and Yeosang keeps watch on the Crow’s nest.”</p>
<p>Max listened to San (One of the many gunners, responsible for having the cannon work efficiently) talk, introducing him to the Treasure’s crew and their functions.</p>
<p>“I run the cannons, along with Jongho, Wooyoung and Chan. Jongho alone has the strength of three men, so it makes our job a hella lot easier.” The red-haired man said, showing the younger the way around the ship. “There’s also Mingi and Leo, who help with navigation and are responsible for anchoring the ship.”</p>
<p>“What about the quartermaster?” The foreigner asked, drinking in the ship’s appearance; it wasn’t really big, really, just an average sized ship, but the proportions were good.</p>
<p>The deck was wide and the masts were tall, the jolly roger swished to and fro with the wind, and the sails looked decent. The dark wood beneath his feet echoed the tapping from his leather boots, and something else thumped underneath it.</p>
<p>“He’s counting the supplies right now.” San said, a grimace painting his handsome features. “Last time we left shore without counting the food supplies, and it ended four days before we found any land. It sucked.”</p>
<p>“I bet it did.” Max mumbled, patting his belly. “I can’t imagine not eating for more than a day.”</p>
<p>A loud sound of something being dropped behind the men startled San – Max just blinked -, who turned around quickly, followed by his fellow crewmate.</p>
<p>“Stop being dramatic.”</p>
<p>A man, a little taller than Max (10cm, at most), stood in front of them, with grease covering his exposed arms. Perfectly tanned skin, black silky hair, sharp, dark brown eyes, pink lips, muscular body-</p>
<p>The calmness in his voice certainly didn’t match his looks.</p>
<p>“We caught plenty of fish during the whole journey. This boy right here,” The man said, clapping San on the shoulder. “ate more than anyone else.”</p>
<p>Max snickered, and said boy looked at him, offended.</p>
<p>“I did not!”</p>
<p>“Sure you didn’t, San.” Yeosang said as he passed by the trio, and Max held in a snort.</p>
<p>“Anyways,” San tried to divert the attention to something else. “this is our Quartermaster, Seonghwa.”</p>
<p>The foreigner bowed slightly for a moment, and said man raised a brow at him.</p>
<p>“Nice to meet you, sir.” His curls bounced back as he straightened out, and Seonghwa thought he saw something weird on his chest. “I’m Maxwell, the doctor slash cleaner, cook or anything else the crew needs.”</p>
<p>Seonghwa nodded his head, biting down on his lower lip.</p>
<p>Max stared.</p>
<p>“Okay, then.” He finally said, pushing his hair off his forehead. “Chan injured his arm yesterday while he helped me clean some knives. Can you do something about that?”</p>
<p>“Sure!”</p>
<p>As Seonghwa pointed the direction Chan was, San was deep in thought. The doctor walked away with a weird giddiness to his steps, just as the Captain yelled at Mingi to raise the anchor and set sail.</p>
<p>“He is…”</p>
<p>“Weird.” The quartermaster said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Definitely weird. Keep an eye out for him, and tell me if he does anything suspicious.”</p>
<p>“Will do.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Maxwell descended the wooden stairs to the lower part of the ship, looking around the cargo room to see if he could find the ‘Chan’ the Quartermaster told him about. Having no such look, he began the exploration of the other rooms; there was a wide one filled with hammocks, with random clothes strewn about some boxes filled with bottles with a dark liquid - whiskey, rum? Who knows -, then, after it, came a little room filled with medical supplies, and beside it was something that resembled a toilet (it was just a room with a wooden door, and a hole on the ground. That’s it), and above it, the captain’s cabin bustled with steps from two people. Their voices could be heard, albeit muffled.</p>
<p>“We don’t need more people-”</p>
<p>“We do need a doctor, Seonghwa.” Hongjoong said, and the quartermaster stood in silence. “And he needs to go somewhere. Didn’t you need to go somewhere, too?”</p>
<p>Max bit down on his lower lip, soaking in the newfound information, when someone came across the open door.</p>
<p>“You gonna take a shit or just stand there?”</p>
<p>Startled, the boy looked at the new face, and then started laughing.</p>
<p>“Ha, no, I just- I was looking for- Are you Chan?”</p>
<p>Receiving a nod in response, the foreigner grabbed Chan’s exposed, uninjured arm, and dragged him towards the makeshift infirmary.</p>
<p>It could barely fit two people there.</p>
<p>The ‘doctor’ made Chan sit down on a wooden seat on the ship’s wall, and started shuffling through the supplies’ boxes. He smiled, then, finally finding some clean fabric bandages and a bottle of whiskey.</p>
<p>“Can you show me that cut, please?”</p>
<p>Chan then obliged, extending his left arm towards Max. It wasn’t a big wound; a cut about 5cm long, maybe 2cm deep? The problem was the rosy skin around it, puffed out, and the grease and dirt sticking to the open flesh.</p>
<p>“Well, Chan, can you talk a little about yourself?” Max said, opening the whiskey bottle.</p>
<p>Chan rested his head on the ship’s wall, matted blond hair looking even wilder as he stuck his right hand on it.</p>
<p>“I’m a big boy, don’t need distractions.”</p>
<p>“Okay, then. Suit yourself.”</p>
<p>The foreigner poured the alcoholic beverage over the open wound, and Chan screamed.</p>
<p>“I need to clean it now, it will hurt even more. You want something to bite?”</p>
<p>The blond shook his head no, and bit his lip as the younger boy used a clean rag to wipe at his flesh. It really did hurt.</p>
<p>Besides the outside, Max had to clean the inside of the wound, and he did so, gently. When he finished, he heard the man sigh in relief.</p>
<p>“That was the worst part. I just have to bandage it now.” A nod was sent his way, and he finished the work, bandaging Chan’s arm as fast as he could. “Done!”</p>
<p>When the boy looked up, he was met with Chan’s teary gaze, and, without thinking, he wiped at the older man’s eyes.</p>
<p>“Sorry, I had to do it, or it would get infected and then… you’d have to say bye to that arm.”</p>
<p>“It’s okay.” The blond said, cheeks a pinkish color. He scrambled to get up, almost toppling over Max on the small space. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>Max smiled and nodded at him, glad to finally be of some use after doing nothing at the island he stayed for the past month.</p>
<p>Besides stealing some rich folks, of course.</p>
<p>He wasn’t really proud of that, but no one wanted to hire a foreigner in an island full of natives. They preferred to give all their jobs to the people who were born there, lived there and would die there. Lucky for the boy, he was always ignored (or they really didn’t see him, for whatever reason), and there were a few rich old men who hung out at a tavern near the small inn he stayed at for a month.</p>
<p>Drunk, rich old men.</p>
<p>Slow, dumb and most important of all, had really loose hands.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for him, the last rich old man he tried to steal from wasn’t entirely drunk, nor a native from the island of Marianne; hence his hasty decision to finally follow his initial plan and run to his aunt’s house on a southern island.</p>
<p>
  <em>Cletos.</em>
</p>
<p>A funny name, yes, but a nice place to live in despite it’s old people; it was better than home, anyway.</p>
<p>“Why are you spacing out there?” Seonghwa’s aggressive tone of voice brought Max back to real life, and he sputtered out an answer.</p>
<p>“I- I just patched up Chan-”</p>
<p>“So you thought you could slack off after one job?”</p>
<p>The rude way the quartermaster treated Max confused him; where was the nice man from earlier?</p>
<p>“No, I just-”</p>
<p>“If you’re done with that, the deck needs cleaning.” Seonghwa said as he turned around, heading towards the stairs. “Mingi just threw up on it.”</p>
<p>Max scrambled up, following the older man to the upper part of the ship. Indeed, the wide deck was filled with some ocean water that swished side to side, along with a weird yellow splotch near the central master. Little red and green spots dotted the splotch, and the foreigner grimaced.</p>
<p>“Did he get motion sick?” He asked his superior, receiving a negative response.</p>
<p>“Why the fuck would a pirate get motion sick?” Seonghwa hissed, and the boy really considered asking what crawled up his ass and died. “He just drank a lot this morning and ate nothing at all.”</p>
<p>Max ignored the red and green spots.</p>
<p>“Yunho gets motion sick sometimes-” Yeosang, who slid down the crow’s nest and mast, piped up, but Wooyoung noticed the tension and slapped his mouth shut before he got thrown off the ship.</p>
<p>Max also ignored that.</p>
<p>“Well, just,” The quartermaster said, motioning to the vomit. “Just clean it up. And then mop everything.”</p>
<p>“Aye, sir.” The boy mumbled, scurrying over his crewmates and asking where the mop was.</p>
<p>San, always the helpful lad, helped him find the cleaning supplies – near the rum barrels, pretty simple. Now armed with a bucket, mop and rag, Max started cleaning.</p>
<p>First the puke, which seemed to have doubled in quantity due to the salty water that mixed with it; he used the rag to clean it up, wiping from side to side, dunking the dirty cloth on the bucket filled with a soapy mixture.</p>
<p>It smelled bad.</p>
<p>He kinda wanted to puke too.</p>
<p>San felt bad.</p>
<p>“The fuck did he eat to end up stinking like this...” Mumbled the foreigner, ignoring the snicker that – surprise! – came from the Captain’s mouth. For some reason, he wasn’t scolded.</p>
<p>Then, after he finally wiped it all off, the mopping started; had a few journeys to one of the lower windows on the ship to get more water, tried to ignore the way Chan stepped over his pristine work every fucking ten seconds, before glaring at the older male who finally settled down near the captain (looking over a map or something), caught San’s and Yunho’s pity stares along with Mingi’s rosy cheeks and sheepish smile.</p>
<p>He forgave Mingi’s puke. His smile was too cute.</p>
<p>After mopping the deck three times, it looked pristine enough; it was dry, the sunlight reflected off the wood, and Wooyoung slipped on it twice.</p>
<p>But then, Seonghwa stepped out of his cabin – which was beside the Captain’s, he noticed -, and looked over the place, before shouting.</p>
<p>“It’s still dirty!”</p>
<p>Max blinked, with furrowed brows, but the older man just turned back around and slammed the door behind himself.</p>
<p>Leo, the british guy who almost never spoke, opened his mouth to protest, but the foreigner was already descending the stairs to the same window, changing the water.</p>
<p>He came back up, mop and bucket in hand, and cleaned.</p>
<p>He rubbed the floor with so much force, his hands burned from the friction between wood and skin. So he kept it up, now changing the water every few minutes.</p>
<p>Yeosang got worried.</p>
<p>Yunho just shook his head.</p>
<p>San, Mingi and Wooyoung disappeared somewhere, and Leo went after them. Jongho was already copped up by the cannons, probably mixing gunpowder or getting things ready in advance.</p>
<p>After mopping seven more times, Max stepped up to the quartermaster’s cabin and knocked softly on the door. It moved a little, and then Seonghwa’s face appeared on the small space it created.</p>
<p>“What is it?”</p>
<p>“I did as told, and would like to know if you consider the deck clean now.” The black haired boy said, in a calm tone.</p>
<p>The older male looked at the deck as Max moved away, showing his work; it was actually good (Not that it wasn’t before), and the man nodded curtly, closing the door right after.</p>
<p>Max turned away then, going down the stairs to put the cleaning supplies at their rightful place. Just as he got to the rum barrels, he found half of the Treasure’s crew whispering to each other.</p>
<p>They all went silent.</p>
<p>Jongho sat where the mop was before.</p>
<p>“Can I just-” The foreigner motioned to the youngest crewmember, who stared at him with curious eyes. He moved over then, and Max stored the supplies there. “Thanks.”</p>
<p>Just as he turned around, Leo called out his name.</p>
<p>“What did you do wrong?” The blond asked, and each one of them stared at Max’s face.</p>
<p>“I... honestly don’t know.”</p>
<p>Tired of the looks of pity thrown in his direction, the boy went back up, feeling a chill run up his spine when he was met with cold wind. Walking up to the poop deck, he looked at the setting sun.</p>
<p>“Anything I can help with, Captain?” He asked, and Hongjoong passed the map to Chan before stepping down onto the main deck.</p>
<p>“Not right now, rookie.” The older male said, sandy hair moving around violently with the wind. “You might want to wear a coat, though. The nights are colder when we sail.”</p>
<p>Max nodded, and once again went down the stairs, but this time he went to the left, towards the room where San told him they kept their belongings; it was just a little nook, right outside their kitchen, with a few chests placed inside.</p>
<p>He looked around, finally finding the leather bag with his coat and a pair of pants, a shirt, a small notebook filled with drawings – several of the pages had a pair of familiar faces, but he pushed his anguished feelings aside – and a small pouch with some gold coins.</p>
<p>Grabbing the black leather coat, he swung it over his shoulders, tucking the bag back on the corner it was.</p>
<p>As soon as he left the room, the door to the kitchen opened, revealing no one but the quartermaster.</p>
<p>Seonghwa looked over the boy’s shivering frame, from his light blue shirt to his brown pants and boots, until he paused on the coat that hung from his shoulders, a bit too big to be his size.</p>
<p>“Whose that coat?” The male asked, and Max furrowed his brows.</p>
<p>“Mine.”</p>
<p>“It doesn’t look your size.”</p>
<p>“It was a gift from someone close to me. It’s not my size, but it is mine.”</p>
<p>Seonghwa huffed, seemingly exasperated; the boy was hiding something, and he knew it.</p>
<p>“Fetch Wooyoung for me. Tell him he’s helping me with dinner.”</p>
<p>“Aye, sir.”</p>
<p>The foreigner approached the rum barrels, finding only Jongho and, luckily, Wooyoung.</p>
<p>“Wooyoung?” He mumbled, and said man looked up. “The Quartermaster is asking for you. Said that you will help him with dinner.”</p>
<p>Said male nodded, and Max left the lower part of the ship, feeling suffocated.</p>
<p>Yes, the cold, salty breeze that hit his face was way better than the stuffy air near the lower rooms.</p>
<p>Max looked at the palm of his hands, red and irritated, burning when exposed to the cold air.</p>
<p>He just hoped it wouldn’t take long to get to Cletos.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope yall dont get too bored with this, it definitely gets better on the next chapters :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. II - Desire.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The crew faces some magic creatures.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fourteen days.</p><p>It has been fourteen days since Maxwell boarded the Treasure, and boy, did he want to strangle Seonghwa.</p><p>Every single day the Quartermaster bullied him, making the boy wipe and mop all over the ship, five or six times on each place until the skin on the palm of his hands went raw. Then, he tended to whatever wounds the crew magically got - Jongho scratched himself a lot on the cannons, and Mingi was a surprisingly clumsy person -, and went up to assist the Captain and Chan navigate.</p><p>Navigating was the best part; they talked and laughed and looked over at maps and used a lot of math to calculate which way they needed to sail to reach their island of destination. Max let his tongue loose a few times, telling parts of his life to the people he now considered friends.</p><p>“My dad was a pirate,” The Captain said, staring at four of his crewmen. “but I was raised as a normal kid. My ma thought that if she hid that from me, I would end up as an honored young soldier or something of the sort. But all of you know how the Emperor likes to treat his people.”</p><p>Hongjoong was born in an island on the other side of the world,  Max learnt; while he was native to the Southern American islands, most of his crewmates and the Captain were born on the Western Asian islands. Leo was the only one born in Britain.</p><p>“So the soldiers came to my village when I was 15. We had little money, and they stole that from us, along with the young women and girls. Taken to be concubines.”</p><p>San watched the Captain’s storytelling with wide eyes - it was not the first time he heard that, but it was always a crazy experience-, leaning to his right, almost burying his body into Max’s own; they were seated on the ground, knees to their chests, while Chan stood tall, and Yunho sat cross legged behind Maxwell, leaning his forehead on the boy’s right shoulder (yes, they got close in the last week).</p><p>“They left the rest of us, but then... one of the soldiers came up to my house. He recognized one of the few items my dad left behind.” Hongjoong lifted his hand up, displaying a silver compass, reflecting the sunlight in a way that made Yunho flinch and bury his face deeper onto Max’s shoulder. “This compass made me a man. I fought along with Seonghwa, my cousin, who I grew up with, and we made them leave. We had to flee, take our families somewhere else, and then leave them to keep everyone else safe.”</p><p>“They found me stealing from some people on a port after a few months.” Chan took over the narrative, and the Captain sat down on the poop deck. “We used all our money to buy this ship, and start sailing.”</p><p>“Yeosang, Wooyoung, Mingi and Yunho joined us when we stopped at an orphanage, San and Jongho ran away from home, Leo left the military,” Hongjoong said, then looked over at their youngest crew member. “And Maxwell demanded to join us.”</p><p>Max felt his cheeks burn, and the men around him chuckled as he tried to hide his face.</p><p>“But now we have a doctor, someone to mop everything and a person to tease.” San said, and yelped as said boy elbowed his side. “Hey!”</p><p>“A little respect would be good, thank you.”</p><p>Max heard Yunho laugh against his back, and he decided he liked the Treasure.</p><p>The sun set a little too fast that day, and soon everyone was on the lower part of the ship, eating the bread and porridge Seonghwa cooked up.</p><p>“Okay, but consider this,” Wooyoung said, motioning wildly to San. “You have two people lusting after you. A guy and a girl. Who do you choose?”</p><p>“That’s ridiculous.” Yeosang piped up, sitting with his back to a barrel of rum. “No one lusts after San.”</p><p>“Are you sure?” Mingi asked, trying not to burn his tongue with the scalding porridge. “That guy at the Marianne island sure looked like he wanted some San dick.”</p><p>“I’d choose the orgy-” Wooyoung said, and everyone around him groaned in disgust. “What? Isn’t it better?”</p><p>“If you want to catch some weird ass fungus on your dick, yeah. Go for it.” Yeosang mumbled, and caught the piece of bread the younger man tossed at his head.</p><p>“Don’t throw away your food!” San exclaimed, ready to fight.</p><p>“Hey, children, pipe down, will you?” The Captain said, going in the direction of the kitchen.</p><p>Leo blinked, confused. If the Captain was down here, who was taking care of the steering wheel?</p><p>Chan was chatting idly with Seonghwa near the kitchen, Jongho was trying to not kill Yunho over something ridiculous the latter said- Maxwell was nowhere to be seen.</p><p>“Is Max controlling the ship?” The british asked his superior, who nodded in affirmation. “Well, you did teach him that.”</p><p>That last bit caught Seonghwa’s attention.</p><p>“Joong?” The quartermaster called his cousin, handing him a bowl with the food. “You trust the boy?”</p><p>“I wouldn’t let him guide the ship if I didn’t.” The blond said, taking the bowl with a smile. Then, he guided his cousin to a secluded corner. “What do you have against him?”</p><p>“He is a thief.” Seonghwa stated.</p><p>“All of us are, Hwa. We’re pirates, for fuck’s sake.” Hongjoong retorted.</p><p>“We don’t hide anything from each other, though.” The taller man hissed, sharp eyes darkening. “There is something weird about him. Demands to join our crew, only to be dropped off at Cletos. The island full of british soldiers, the port where the Queen chooses to use to export tea.”</p><p>“You think he’s a spy?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>Thunder roared outside, startling the quartermaster. Hongjoong only sipped at his porridge, aware of the ‘weird’ part of Maxwell, but a spy? Why? The Treasure was a small ship, well known amongst pirates, yes, but not famous.</p><p>The sound of singing broke Joong out of his thoughts.</p><p>“Captain!” Chan yelled, hands searching frantically for something on his pants’ pockets. “It’s the Glory Passage!”</p><p>Hongjoong’s bowl clattered on the ground, as his eyes widened and he stuffed his hands on his coat’s pocket.</p><p>“Sirens!” He yelled, and the crew members either dropped or put aside their food, checking their pockets for cotton balls. “You all know what to do!”</p><p>The crew stuffed their ears with the cotton, until they couldn’t hear the singing anymore; the ship rocked back and forth with the calm waves, and the pattering of the rain hit the deck...</p><p>“MAX!” Yunho screamed, scrambling to get himself up the stairs and onto the deck.</p><p>San followed him, and then Seonghwa and Hongjoong did the same, ordering the rest of the crew to stay down there.</p><p>“Max!” The tall man screamed, looking around the right side deck as San did the same. The rain didn’t help their sight, the dark sky only making it worse. “Max!”</p><p>Hongjoong slipped, falling on his ass, and Seonghwa left him there – he wouldn’t die because of that.</p><p>“Maxwell!” The quartermaster yelled, and ran to the left side, where he saw a shadow gripping the railing of the ship. “Max!”</p><p>The boy turned around as he heard his name, still gripping the railing. His glasses were covered with droplets of water, and his hair was glued to his forehead, dripping. His coat shielded his back and shoulders, and part of his chest; his stomach was half exposed, the tanned skin wet, with a few scratches here and there. He just looked at Seonghwa curiously, then, as the man said nothing else, he turned back around and watched something move around underneath the sea waves.</p><p>He wasn’t hurling himself off the ship, just watching... and hearing the sirens sing.</p><p>“It’s beautiful.” He let out a sigh and turned around, facing his superior as he slid down to the floor, sitting there with his knees up to his chest.</p><p>And then, San finally reached his friend, tugging Yunho along, kneeling near Max’s shivering form.</p><p>“Max, don’t- Max!” The red haired man screamed, looking at the younger’s red cheeks. “What happened?”</p><p>A sob wracked through the foreigner’s body, and a tear slipped out, followed by another one, and then countless droplets of salty water left his eyes in a flurry of emotions he couldn’t quite place. The rain kept falling down, and his body shivered, but he felt numb.</p><p>Another sob.</p><p>And Yunho couldn’t take it anymore. He embraced the black haired man – arms around his shoulders, engulfing him in a big, warm cocoon. And there they stayed, until the sobs stopped, until the rain stopped, and the Glory Passage was left behind, taking the sirens with it. Until both men fell asleep there, on the ship’s deck, hugging each other, and the sun peaked over the horizon.</p><p>Hongjoong and San went to their respective places to sleep, and Seonghwa stayed on deck, watching over the boys.</p><p>‘For safety reasons’, he said to his cousin, who nodded with a knowing look on his face.</p><p>For Yunho and Max’s safety.</p><p> </p><p>Maxwell peaked one eye open, then the other.</p><p>He felt warm. Damp, but warm. Soon, he stretched an arm over his head, but the other was trapped under something. That something was Yunho’s back.</p><p>They were still on the deck, sitting – his butt was really sore, Max realized -, and Yunho had his arms around the boy’s shoulders, while he snored softly.</p><p>The younger man moved as quietly as possible, pulling his arm slowly; Yunho stirred a little, but didn’t wake up, thankfully.</p><p>“You giant man, why do you have to be so big?” Max mumbled, finally freeing himself from Yunho’s deathly embrace. He kissed the blue haired man’s forehead, smiling to himself. “Thank you.”</p><p>Then, as he stepped to the side, he almost stumbled over Seonghwa.</p><p>Also sound asleep, on his butt.</p><p>He looked peaceful, gentle even; nothing like the way he treated Max – and Max only.</p><p>He also had only a thin blouse over his chest, and was visibly shivering as the cold breeze hit his body, the clouds blocked the sun from gracing them with its warm glow.</p><p>The boy took off his coat then, draping it over the quartermaster’s upper body.</p><p>He could get it back later.</p><p>He bounded down the steps to the lower deck, approaching the little nook where his bag was. Closing the door behind him, he stripped himself to his undergarments, messing with a few bandages here and there around his body; his stomach had a few scratches from when he slipped near the cannons and injured himself, so he tended to that too.</p><p>After fixing it, he threw on a pair of clean, brown pants and a light blue shirt. His wet clothes were left near his bag, probably going to dry after a good quantity of days.</p><p>Opening the door, he finally noticed some wooden bowls piled near the kitchen, and some dry porridge on the ground.</p><p>A sigh.</p><p>“Mopping it is, then.” He mumbled, taking his cleaning supplies – yes, his, as no one else cleaned anything.</p><p>A few minutes later, the wooden floor was squeaky clean. So squeaky, actually, that someone slipped and fell on their ass.</p><p>“What the fuck?”</p><p>Ah, Wooyoung.</p><p>“Good morning to you too, Wooyoung.” The black haired boy said, putting away the mop and bucket. He missed the shocked look on the man’s face.</p><p>“How did you- Wait, how- How did you not die after hearing the sirens?” The blond asked, getting dangerously close to the foreigner. “Did you have cotton on your ears already?”</p><p>Max furrowed his brows, searching for a piece of bread on one of the boxes near the kitchen.</p><p>“I just watched them sing. What did you expect me to do? Throw myself off the ship?”</p><p>“Exactly!” Wooyoung exclaimed, and a grumpy Yeosang came out of the hammock room, slapping the back of his head. “Hey!”</p><p>“Leave him alone and stop screaming, for fuck’s sake.” Then he walked over to the younger male, and patted the top of his head. “Good job not dying.”</p><p>“Thank you?”</p><p>“What did you feel?” Wooyoung asked the boy once again, ignoring the angry stare coming from Yeosang.</p><p>“I felt... sad. Homesick.” He said, stopping a few moments to chew the stale piece of bread. “I miss my brother and Ji-”</p><p>The boy stopped himself before spilling too much information; he didn’t want to give himself away. Yeosang noticed that and only nodded his head, but Wooyoung, as the little shit he is, smiled knowingly.</p><p>“Who is that Ji, hmm? Someone you love dearly?”</p><p>Max averted his eyes. “My best friend, yes. Someone I love dearly.”</p><p>“It must be bad to leave them behind.” Sang said, also catching a piece of the stale bread Seonghwa cooked. “Do you have anything to remind them of you?”</p><p>“I guess I can trust you guys on this.” The foreigner mumbled, and disappeared into the little nook.</p><p>He came back after a few moments with a small notebook in his hands and the last bit of bread inside his cheeks. He handed the notebook to Yeosang, and Wooyoung came up behind them, looking over the older man’s shoulder. On the first page there was a drawing of something that resembled a house, surrounded by a forest with tropical plants. It looked like there was a man inside, seen by the window.</p><p>Then, on the next pages, two faces filled everything; one was a small boy, with round cheeks and cute brown eyes surrounded by big lashes, with a head of dark blond, curly hair.</p><p>The other one was completely different.</p><p>A man with pitch black, straight hair that fell softly over his forehead, and dark brown, almond shaped eyes with a mole placed under his left eye. He had round cheeks too, but a pair of dimples made themselves present on them. His smile was bright, all toothy, with pointy canines to top it off.</p><p>“This one is my brother, Miguel.” Max said, pointing to the small boy. “He’s twelve years younger than me. Had to watch over him a lot when I was a kid.”</p><p>“He’s cute.” Wooyoung said, with a gentle voice. “He looks like you.”</p><p>“The other one is my friend. Ji- Jihoon.” Max gulped as he said the name, as if he could cry at any given second. “He helped me leave my island, and gave me his coat as a gift.”</p><p>“That’s why it’s so big.” A new voice said, and the three men looked up to see their quartermaster, holding said coat in one of his hands. “Here.”</p><p>Max blinked slowly, stepping up and pulling the fabric towards himself. Seonghwa didn’t hold onto it, thankfully.</p><p>“You shouldn’t have stayed up there when you heard the sirens. You could have died.” The older man said, voice rough.</p><p>“I didn’t know there were sirens at that passage, sir.” Maxwell mumbled, cheeks red with embarrassment. “And I didn’t have anything to cover my ears with. I heard them anyways.”</p><p>“Concerning that,” The quartermaster inquired, stepping towards the man. “how did you not die?”</p><p>“Honestly, I wish I knew the reason.” The foreigner answered, holding his ground. “I just felt sad, and then... Yunho came up.”</p><p><em>‘And I did too, first!’ </em>Seonghwa wanted to say, but kept his mouth shut.</p><p>“Uhm, sir,” Max signaled to the men behind his back, telling them to put away his notebook. Wooyoung did it. “I just finished breakfast. Can I go up to mop the deck?”</p><p>“No.” The man hissed, exasperated, almost ripping off his hair with his bare hands.</p><p>Max found it sexy.</p><p>Wooyoung did too.</p><p>“What else-”</p><p>“You go to sleep, right now. Wake the crew up, then sleep.”</p><p>“Uhm, pardon me?” Max blinked, confused. Was he hearing things?</p><p>“Go to sleep. You almost died at the hand of sirens last night, and slept on the deck.” The brunette pointed in the direction of the hammock room. “Go.”</p><p>“O- Okay.” The boy went in the direction of the room, stopping midway. “Wait! What about Yunho?”</p><p>“He sleeps in the spare cabin with Mingi. The hammocks are too small for them.”</p><p>“Oh. Okay.”</p><p>Seonghwa frowned. What did that kid have to do with Yunho?</p><p>“Boss, your face is sour.” Yeosang said, and Wooyoung chuckled as the older man scowled at them. “It’s worse now.”</p><p>“Good to know.” He motioned to the floor. “You can mop everything instead of Max today, Wooyoung.”</p><p>Groans and some chuckles echoed as the crew woke up, and everything sprung to life.</p><p>Seonghwa sighed.</p><p>It would be a long day.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The siren scene was what made me write this whole fic!! It popped up in my head one day, and then I came up with everything after ^^</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. III - Horizon.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The British Fleet attacks the Treasure.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The action begins!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>BANG!</strong>
</p>
<p>Maxwell woke up with a startled look upon his face, black eyes wildly searching for the source of the noise. He could only see the blurred form of the hammocks that surrounded him, though, and rolled off the one he slept at, grateful it was near the floor.</p>
<p>He fell down onto the wood, on his hands and knees, and crawled to the nearest surface, where he left his glasses. A box full of lemons.</p>
<p>The ship rocked dangerously to the right, and the foreigner almost slipped, thanking the heavens for his balance - Something he learnt it was crucial for the work of a slave – but we’ll get into details later -, as he kept still, only stretching out his hand to get the damned glasses so he could see.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Bang!</strong>
</p>
<p>“What in the heavens is going on?” He mumbled, finally up on his feet. Wearing his brown boots as quickly as he could, he left the hammock room with a small dagger in hands.</p>
<p>Outside, near the rum barrels, San, Wooyoung and Leo operated a cannon, while Jongho used the other one. Chan ran down the stairs, almost throwing himself at Max, with a gun in hand and a bloody hole on his left shoulder.</p>
<p>“What in the fuck?!” The younger man exclaimed, and Chan spared him a desperate glance. “Fuck, Chan! You’re wounded, go to the infirmary and put a fucking bandage over that. Put pressure, and don’t die before I get the fuck back!”</p>
<p>“I’m not-” The blond opened his mouth to contradict, but the sharp glare the foreigner sent him was enough to shut him up.</p>
<p>“I’m no captain, but if you fucking die on me, Jongho is going to use one of his weird rituals to bring you back and I’ll kill you again.”</p>
<p>Not waiting for an answer, the black-haired man ran up the stairs, finding himself facing a Fleet Ship.</p>
<p>A fucking Royal Fleet Ship, from England, by orders of the almighty Queen herself.</p>
<p>The outer part of the ship had two massive holes on it, and he could see through them: soldiers in red coats running desperately, trying to fix at least a little bit of the damage, before it went up in flames.</p>
<p>It was satisfying.</p>
<p>His attention was caught by something else, though; Mingi and Yunho fought off three soldiers each, the giants, Yeosang tried his best to shoot the soldiers on the deck of the Fleet ship, along with Hongjoong, and Seonghwa stopped more of the redcoats from coming onboard.</p>
<p>Running towards his friends, Max clutched his dagger harder on his right hand, the grip making his knuckles turn white.</p>
<p>He knew what he had to do as soon as one of the men attacking Mingi pulled out a gun from his pants’ waistline.</p>
<p>“Hey, asshole!” He shouted, and all of the soldiers startled; two of them loosened their grip on the red haired man, and the other aimed the gun at the foreigner. “Too slow.”</p>
<p>As soon as the soldier pulled the trigger, Max ducked, getting close enough to slash at his shin. He fell to the ground in one knee - while Mingi choked both of the soldiers in his grasp, mind you, proud of having the angry foreigner as his friend -, ready to shoot again-</p>
<p>But Max was faster, plunging the blade into the redcoat’s neck, puncturing the artery and leaving him to bleed out on the ship’s floor.</p>
<p>Yunho still struggled with oncoming soldiers as Mingi threw his attackers on the sea.</p>
<p>“You could have woken me up, you know.” The black haired man said to the giant pair as he stabbed a soldier on the arm. With a quick movement of his elbow, the attacker’s nose let out a satisfying <em>‘crack!’ </em>and a good quantity of blood gushed out of his nostrils.</p>
<p>Yunho threw him off the ship.</p>
<p>“They appeared in a whim, and when we came to our senses, they were already attacking.” Mingi explained, panting a little. It was a miracle he didn’t slip and crack his skull on a redcoat’s shoe yet. “Good thing you came up, though!”</p>
<p>Yunho looked up at the ropes Seonghwa was cutting, and then glanced at Max.</p>
<p>“Can you...?” The blue haired man said, and the younger nodded in affirmation.</p>
<p>Despite his appearance, Max was actually really quick as he jumped and kicked at a soldier’s chest – a soldier that was sliding down a rope, three meters off the ship’s floor -, sending him flying off and into the sea below.</p>
<p>Then, he started to work on the ropes with Seonghwa, who only glanced at him with flushed cheeks and a large gash near his chest, bleeding profusely.</p>
<p>The foreigner thanked the heavens for the sharp dagger he always carried with himself, as the ropes snapped after two single blows of the blade.</p>
<p>
  <em>One, two, three, four.</em>
</p>
<p>Four pairs of ropes, and the soldiers stopped appearing on the ship.</p>
<p>The captain of the Fleet Ship had the audacity to yell something along the lines of ‘I’ll kill you, filthy pirates!’ before Hongjoong shot the master dangerously close to the man’s ear, smiling brightly all the while.</p>
<p>He also had a cut above his brow, Max noticed.</p>
<p>Mingi had a few scratches on his exposed abdomen, Yunho was unscathed (damn that man’s luck), and Yeosang had a scratch on his left bicep, where a gunshot grazed his tan skin.</p>
<p>The Fleet Ship disappeared slowly on the horizon, and the crew could finally breathe again. Hongjoong forgot his posture as a Captain for a brief moment, laying down on his back in the middle of the ship’s deck. Yeosang huffed, Mingi and Yunho slumped against themselves, sitting on the hard floor, and Seonghwa went on the direction of his cabin to do God knows what.</p>
<p>And Max, of course, followed him, because the man was no exception to being treated by the resident doctor slash cleaner slash stabber.</p>
<p>“Quartermaster!” He exclaimed, bouncing up to the man in question, grabbing his arm when he received no answer.</p>
<p>Seonghwa turned around with a sharp glare on his face, his other hand already turning the knob of his cabin.</p>
<p>A yell rang out the room, and a stray redcoat sprung out, pistol in hand.</p>
<p>Max pushed the older man towards the opposite side, and didn’t even blink as he let him go, pulling the dagger from its rightful place on his leather belt. A shot rang up in the air, and before any of the men could react, the redcoat fell to the ground with a thump, the blade buried deep on his neck.</p>
<p>
  <em>Silence.</em>
</p>
<p>“Fucking redcoats.” The foreigner mumbled, and blood seeped from the scratch on his cheek. “Still too slow, damn it.”</p>
<p>Mingi screamed.</p>
<p>Yunho and Yeosang scrambled to their feet, and Seonghwa stared at the younger boy from his place on the floor, too shocked to react.</p>
<p>Max could have been shot, in the head, and die – to save his stubborn ass.</p>
<p>He could die.</p>
<p>
  <em>He almost did.</em>
</p>
<p>“Why do you always pull shit like that?” Yeosang said, now cradling Max’s cheeks on his hands. “He almost blew up your skull!”</p>
<p>“You’re so unlucky it gives me the creeps.” The blue haired giant said, fussed over his friend’s wound, and then turned around, helping Seonghwa to his feet. “Are you okay, hyung?”</p>
<p>“Y-Yeah.” The black haired man said, ears still buzzing from the adrenaline. “Max, you...”</p>
<p>“That idiot yelled before he came out of the room, so yeah. I was lucky I was fast enough to push you, though...” The foreigner mumbled, wincing as Yeosang touched the scratch on his cheek. “Be careful, ‘Sang.”</p>
<p>“Sorry.” The brown haired man smiled sheepishly at the smaller boy, and Hongjoong just watched the interactions from afar.</p>
<p>“Yeosang has gone soft!” Mingi rasped from his place on the ground, and the older man looked at him with murderous intent.</p>
<p>“Not to interrupt this precious moment,” The Captain said, now sitting on the poop deck. “but we are wounded, and our doctor needs to work.”</p>
<p>Max perked up at that, suddenly remembering the hole on Chan’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“Chan!” He exclaimed, scrambling towards the stairs. “Captain, Quartermaster, Mingi and ‘Sang, please come down!”</p>
<p>And that they did, leaving Yunho – the lucky bastard with not even a scratch – on the steering wheel. Luckily, they were only a day away from the Summin island, here they could rest and restock on food and gold.</p>
<p>Max bounded down the steps, staring at his gunner crewmates, faces and body smudged with gunpowder and grease and sweat. They looked gross.</p>
<p>“Any of you have a major wound?” ‘No’s echoed through the room, and the boy nodded. “Just scratches. You can come after Mingi leaves.”</p>
<p>Through the hammock room they went, until they reached the infirmary, where Chan was already seated on the small wooden bench on the wall, pressing to his wound a cloth that was already stained red.</p>
<p>“Okay, I’ll work in order of gravity, so... Chan first.” The foreigner said, and the men waited on the hammock room – the infirmary was already cramped enough with two people. “Then the Quartermaster, Captain, Yeosang and Mingi.”</p>
<p>Max set himself to work then, dumping a good quantity of whiskey on his hands, then on the hole the bullet left behind.</p>
<p>“You’re lucky the bullet went through.” The black haired boy said to Chan, cleaning around the wound, front and back. “It hurts like a bitch to remove one of those, the small ones the british fleet uses.”</p>
<p>The blond grimaced as Max stitched the skin, humming in thought.</p>
<p>Hongjoong and Seonghwa just watched, curiosity etched on their faces.</p>
<p>“You talk as if you were shot by them before.” The older man said, turning around as he was instructed when the boy finished with the front part.</p>
<p>“I was never shot until three minutes ago.” The foreigner replied, smiling, careful not to prick his finger as he stitched the skin. “But I helped some people from my home island remove them, and it wasn’t pretty. Small pieces of metal inside the skin, as if the bullet exploded once it hit the target.”</p>
<p>Cleaning the skin once again, Max bandaged Chan’s shoulder in a few minutes, careful not to hurt the man or undo his work.</p>
<p>“There. Don’t move around too much for at least five days, and please, don’t- Don’t give me that look! I know you try to lift those barrels when no one is looking.”</p>
<p>Chan left the infirmary, huffing, with red cheeks as he ignored Mingi’s deep chuckles.</p>
<p>“Quartermaster, you’re next!” Max said, and Seonghwa entered the cramped room, staring at the younger boy as he motioned to the wooden bench. “Sit down, please.”</p>
<p>He did as told, for the first time in his life.</p>
<p>The foreigner inspected the large gash across his superior’s chest, fighting down his urge to blush as he imagined some really nice things in his head-</p>
<p>“Do I need to take this off?” Seonghwa asked, motioning to his shirt, and Max nodded his head in affirmation.</p>
<p>The boy turned around to grab more bandages and a clean cloth, hearing the rustling of the Quartermaster behind himself.</p>
<p>“I have never heard someone his size swear so much in my life, I swear-”</p>
<p>Turning around, Max stared pointedly at Wooyoung, who was gossiping with Mingi and Leo, all of them giggling like young maidens.</p>
<p>“Can you not gossip about your elders, Wooyoung?” The black haired man said, wetting the cloth on his hand with a little bit of whiskey.</p>
<p>Hongjoong laughed out loud at the shocked look on the crew’s faces, being one of the only ones who knew such personal information as the foreigner’s birthday.</p>
<p>“What do you mean elders?” Wooyoung said, genuinely shocked. “How come you’re older than me?”</p>
<p>“That means Jongho is still the younger one.” Mingi exclaimed, smug smile plastered to his cute face. “And you’re still the second younger one!”</p>
<p>Patting and cleaning the gash with slow and gentle movements, Max snickered at Mingi’s cluelessness.</p>
<p>“I’m also older than you, Mingi.”</p>
<p>“What?!”</p>
<p>Max smiled, applying to the wound a pomade he made with Jongho’s help – a mix of herbs and magic he discovered to be really nice to shallow wounds such as the one in Seonghwa’s chest.</p>
<p>“By four days.” The foreigner said, now bandaging the skin, happy at the indignant sound Mingi let out.</p>
<p>“That can’t be true!” The giant man whined, and their Captain intervened.</p>
<p>“It’s true.”</p>
<p>Cue the laughter around the whole hammock room, and-</p>
<p>Max felt Seonghwa’s chest shake beneath his hands and, as he looked up, he saw something he never thought would be possible.</p>
<p>Park Seonghwa, the Quartermaster of the Treasure, was smiling.</p>
<p>And by all the gods, it was a heavenly sight.</p>
<p>The man’s nose was scrunched up, his eyes were reduced to slits, small creases on the skin around the dark brown orbs, and his mouth was curved on the most adorable little (although it looked a little pained) smile, pearly whites flashing and almost blinding Max.</p>
<p>Oh, what a heavenly sight to nearsighted eyes.</p>
<p>Max blinked a little, slapping himself mentally for staring as his superior cleared his throat.</p>
<p>With a little knot, the foreigner finished his job, wiping his hands on a clean cloth that sat near his hips.</p>
<p>“All done, Quartermaster.” He said, motioning to the infirmary door. “The gash is not deep, so it will take three days to heal, at most. Try to change the bandages every day, if you can.”</p>
<p>Seonghwa nodded, standing up.</p>
<p>“Thank you. And... call me Seonghwa.”</p>
<p>He left the room hurriedly after that, leaving Max with wide eyes as Hongjoong replaced him on the wooden bench.</p>
<p>“He may be grumpy,” The sandy haired man said, and Max put himself to work with the small cut near his brow. “but he has a nice heart.”</p>
<p>“I can see that.” The foreigner whispered, cheeks flushed a deep red. “Almost could see it, literally. If the redcoat just cut a little deeper, that is. Sorry, this is not a good time for bad jokes-”</p>
<p>“It’s okay.” Joong said softly, as the boy applied a little of the pomade on the cut, covering it with a small piece of thin cloth to not let it exposed to the dirt that the wind carried. “I can see how much you actually care about all of us, despite not knowing everyone for long.”</p>
<p>Max gulped, cleaning his hand on the same cloth near his waist.</p>
<p>“And I know you went through a lot. No one kills that many men without a good training or a rough life.” The Captain stood up, smiling at the boy. “I know we may not have much time left since you’re parting at Cletos, but, the boys and I can always lend you an ear.”</p>
<p>“Thank you.” Max mumbled, receiving a kind pat on the top of his head.</p>
<p>“Anytime, kid.”</p>
<p>Hongjoong left the room, and in came Yeosang, a grumpy look on his handsome face, not pleased to get bandaged. At all.</p>
<p>“If you scowl like that all the time, it’s going to get stuck and I’ll never see your beautiful smile again, ‘Sang.” The boy said, smiling up at the older man.</p>
<p>San arrived at the hammock room, right on time to see Leo faking gagging noises.</p>
<p>“What did I miss?” The gunner asked, and Mingi looked up, seemingly traumatized.</p>
<p>“Max is older than me.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I knew that.”</p>
<p>“You’re all a bunch of traitors!”</p>
<p>Max laughed at the man, bandaging Yeosang’s bicep.</p>
<p>He would miss the Treasure and its crew.</p>
<p>He would miss his friends.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hwa is starting to warm up to our doctor~</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. IV - Illusion.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Treasure crew gets some well deserved rest.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I fucking hate people.”</p>
<p>San stared at Max in disbelief, ignoring the noises around them.</p>
<p>When they finally arrived in Summin, a day after the British Fleet fiasco, the whole crew went to a tavern to drink their pain away. It was a busy night: another three or four ships arrived in the afternoon, filling the place to the brim with drunk old men, young officers and ladies from the cabaret beside the tavern.</p>
<p>Half naked, wearing dresses or underwear, they rubbed themselves over everyone’s faces, lucky when the drunkards let money slip from their greasy fingers.</p>
<p>Wooyoung was enjoying himself, though.</p>
<p>Max was sandwiched between San and Mingi, on a table near the back door, with a plate of mashed potatoes and bread in front of him, accompanied by a cup of dark red wine.</p>
<p>Yunho and Yeosang sat near Mingi, while Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Chan sat across them.</p>
<p>Leo was ‘enjoying himself’ on a room upstairs, with a pretty blonde lady that smiled at him earlier on the evening.</p>
<p>Jongho was dead asleep at the inn they booked some rooms earlier in the day, after practicing some spells on the ship.</p>
<p>“Why is that?” San finally asked his friend, who proceeded to stab the potatoes on his plate with an angry scowl painting his face.</p>
<p>“It’s way too loud, and the men are annoying.” The foreigner replied, stuffing his face with the bread. “I hate it.”</p>
<p>“You only like the ladies, then?” Mingi rasped, cheeks flushed a deep red from his umpteenth cup of ale. He was clearly drunk, judging by the giggles he let out and the loose hand that ran up and down Yunho’s thigh. “I had no such luck.”</p>
<p>The blue haired man gulped down his water, trying not to be embarrassed at the knowing look his younger friends sent his way.</p>
<p>“I just don’t like crowded places and annoying people, Mingi.” The black haired boy said, gulping down the not stale bread (way better than the ones Seonghwa cooked up, but he wasn’t going to try to provoke the man’s wrath).</p>
<p>Chan poked his Captain to show him something on the other side of the tavern, and Wooyoung finally gave up on all the self-preservation senses he had, following a bright-eyed woman upstairs – going against Yeosang’s warnings, that was certain his friend would get a weird fungus on his penis.</p>
<p>Seonghwa only drank his ale in silence, with closed eyes. He was obviously tired, and still wounded, definitely not having fun at all in the crowded place.</p>
<p>“Hey, San.” Max mumbled to the man beside him, drinking the last bit of wine on his cup. “Shouldn’t Seonghwa be on the ship? Resting?”</p>
<p>Said man just shrugged, refraining from drinking – he was a lightweight -, finally noticing the tired look their Quartermaster had on his face.</p>
<p>“He doesn’t like to leave Joong hyung alone.” Yunho whispered to Max, leaning over Mingi’s hunched back. “It’s been that way since we began sailing.”</p>
<p>Max nodded his head, raising his hand, beckoning a waitress over to their table.</p>
<p>“Makes sense.” He looked up as the waitress arrived, with a smile on her face. He smiled back, head fuzzy with a warmth he didn’t feel for a long time. “Can you bring me a jar with wine, please?”</p>
<p>“Just a second, sweetie.” The woman answered, and the smile she received in response was so bright that Seonghwa opened his eyes in shock.</p>
<p>Yeosang groaned.</p>
<p>“Maxwell is drunk.”</p>
<p>The foreigner only pouted in response, smiling wide as the waitress returned with the metal jar filled with red wine.</p>
<p>“Thank you!” He exclaimed, eagerly filling up his cup with the dark liquid.</p>
<p>Mingi started crying.</p>
<p>“You don’t like annoying people?!” He bawled, draping his arms over the man beside him, almost making him spill his wine. “You don’t like me?”</p>
<p>“Mingi, you’re drunk.” Yunho said, exasperated. “Come on, leave Max alone.”</p>
<p>San contemplated if he should drink anything.</p>
<p>Chan glared at him.</p>
<p>“Whoever said you’re annoying can catch my fists in their face!” Max shouted, standing up in a whim, and Mingi was thrown over Yunho’s and Yeosang’s lap, passed out. “You’re my friend and I love you!”</p>
<p>Hongjoong snickered, Seonghwa held in his laughter, and San took the cup from Max’s hand, taking a sip from the wine.</p>
<p>“I think we should head back to the inn we booked.” Seonghwa told the Captain, noting that San was already becoming flushed in the face. “Wooyoung and Leo will only appear in the morning, anyways.”</p>
<p>Hongjoong nodded his head, signaling something to Yunho. The giant sighed and stood up, hurling Mingi up on his shoulder, whose arm smacked Max on the face, <em>twice</em>.</p>
<p>Yeosang got out of the man’s way, watching as he left first with Chan, who had the key to their room.</p>
<p>“San, hey, you- you’re really pretty, you know.” Max said, squinting as he got closer to his friend’s face.</p>
<p>Seonghwa scowled, standing up and leaving a few gold coins on top of the table.</p>
<p>The waitress could come get it before anyone else, he thought.</p>
<p>“I know, man. You’re real cute too.” San answered the foreigner, and both of them giggled with red cheeks and glazed eyes.</p>
<p>Yeosang snickered.</p>
<p>“Come on, Max. Get up.” The brown-haired man said, pulling on the younger’s arm. “San, you too. It’s nap time, let’s go.”</p>
<p>Both men whined, but got up nonetheless; walking out the back door, San stumbled, but Yeosang caught him before he could fall face down on a muddy puddle.</p>
<p>Hongjoong helped Yeosang, each of them holding one arm, helping the man walk straight.</p>
<p>Max yawned, walking side by side with the quartermaster. His mind was fuzzy, yes, and his tongue was loose, but he was aware of his surroundings.</p>
<p>Seonghwa looked stunning.</p>
<p>He wore a loose, light green shirt today, with the same brown trousers he seemed to never take off. The shirt’s sleeves were rolled up, showing off the strong muscles on his shoulders and arms, along with a few small scars on his forearm. His hair was slicked back, and his forehead glistened with sweat from the stuffy air inside the tavern.</p>
<p>He licked his lips.</p>
<p>Max groaned.</p>
<p>“What is it?” The taller man asked Max, genuinely concerned.</p>
<p>“Oh, I just- I got a really fucking big urge to pee right now.” The foreigner answered, a strained smile plastered on his face. “It’s really urgent. Can we walk a bit faster?”</p>
<p>“Just pull out your cock and pee on the corner!” A stray drunkard screamed near Max’s ear, and the boy fought back the urge to punch him in the dick.</p>
<p>Max sobered up.</p>
<p>“Get lost, man.” He mumbled, scowling as the man laughed.</p>
<p>“We’re almost... oh, there it is.” Seonghwa said, looking ahead of them, to the cozy inn where the Captain already entered with Yeosang and San. He quickened his steps, glad to finally have the time to sleep. “Come on, we’re staying with Jongho.”</p>
<p>“Wait!” Max exclaimed, jogging up to the older man. “We, as in, we? You and I?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Seonghwa said, entering the inn. He wished a good night to the old man that sat behind a small counter, where a few bottles of whiskey sat upon. “Didn’t Joong tell you that?”</p>
<p>“No...” The foreigner said, as they bounded up the stairs to the second floor.</p>
<p>“You can switch with someone, if you’re not comfortable.” The quartermaster said, not turning around to face the younger man as they finally arrived at a long corridor. “I think Yeosang and San are sleeping with Joong, so... you could ask him to trade places with you.”</p>
<p>Max shook his head no, and they arrived at the door with a ‘158’ carved onto it.</p>
<p>“It’s okay!” He exclaimed, and Seonghwa opened the door, showing a small room with three beds, and a door that led to a room with a large wooden bath. “I was just surprised.”</p>
<p>Seonghwa hummed, throwing himself on the bed on the middle, to the left where Jongho lay sound asleep.</p>
<p>Max smiled, closing the door behind him; he was tired, the wine left him sleepy, but he was also dirty as all hell from blood to grease to some pus he had to squeeze out of one of Chan’s old wounds.</p>
<p>The bath sounded tempting.</p>
<p>He thanked Jongho mentally, spotting his leather bag at the foot of the unoccupied bed. Taking out a fresh, clean pair of clothes, he looked at Seonghwa, who looked passed out with an arm laying over his eyes.</p>
<p>“S-Seonghwa?” He gained a ‘hmm’ in response. “I’m going to use the bath for a while.”</p>
<p>“Go ahead.” The black haired man said, waving his hand. “I’ll use it later. Wake me up if I fall asleep.”</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>Max walked up to the bath room, closing the door softly. He turned around then, dumping his clean clothes on a small wooden bench near the wall, staring at the metal pipes on the wall, which ended just above one of the corners of the bath – where the warm water was dumped. Pressing a small button on the wall, the sound of the water filled the boy’s ears.</p>
<p>He stripped, then, eager to get rid of all the dirt piled on his skin. First, he got rid of his leather boots, then the blue shirt - stained red on lots of places -, his dirty brown pants going right after. His underwear was flung somewhere in the room, and the warm fog seeping from the water brought a pleasant feeling to his skin. Leaving his glasses upon the clean clothes on the bench, he got ready to relax.</p>
<p>The foreigner let a groan escape his lips as he got into the bath, warming up his whole body. He rubbed at the skin of his arms first, washing his face right after. The water around him went from crystal to murky really quickly, washing away the blood, dirt, and salt that came from the sea wind. Dunking his head beneath the water, he washed his hair, scrubbing hard at his scalp, coming up just to detangle the black and red curls.</p>
<p>“This is heavenly.” He said in a hushed whisper, playing around with the water and giggling at his own dumb actions. “I missed this so much.”</p>
<p>The door to the bath room opened with a bang, and in came Seonghwa, with a dazed look on his face, flushed cheeks and glossy eyes, undoing his belt in a rushed manner.</p>
<p>Max shrieked.</p>
<p>Jongho shot up on his bed.</p>
<p>Seonghwa squinted his eyes, staring down at the boy who was neck deep into the water, curled into a ball to preserve his dignity.</p>
<p>Then, he smiled. That cute, toothy – although a little pained – smile that made Max almost give in to his adorable look and invite his superior to join his bath.</p>
<p>But Maxwell was a person that still had some dignity, and he stayed still as the youngest member of the Treasure came into the room with tousled hair sticking to every possible direction, searching for the source of distress. One look to Seonghwa’s hand and Max’s curled up form was enough for him to piece two and two together, and the boy heaved a sigh as he pulled on Seonghwa’s arm.</p>
<p>“Hyung, come on. Come back to the room.” Surprisingly, the man complied with a little nod, and Jongho apologized to his friend. “He gets drunk only a few hours after he had his first drink. It gets to his head real late, sorry about this.”</p>
<p>“It’s okay.” Max said, as the door closed. “Thank you!”</p>
<p>A shiver ran up the foreigner’s spine, and he decided it was time to get out of the – now – cold water. Grabbing a towel, he dried himself and got dressed, opening the door.</p>
<p>All of the room’s steam escaped through the open door, and the boy walked out with his dirty clothes rolled into a ball, placing them inside his bag (he would wash them later, when they were safe onboard the Treasure). His glasses were placed on the wooden desk near the only window on the room.</p>
<p>Laying down on the only vacant bed, Max found himself staring at Seonghwa’s sleeping face. His eyes were closed, his face was a little dirty and his lips were pulled up, as if he had a good dream going on inside his mind.</p>
<p>“Sorry, Hwa.” The foreigner whispered, stifling a yawn. “Can’t wake you up now.”</p>
<p>
  <em>You look way too peaceful.</em>
</p>
<p>And, just like that, Max fell asleep.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Wake up, Maxwell!” Mingi yelled right over the boy’s ear, and an arm hit his face as Max jumped up in a fighting stance.</p>
<p>“Are we being attacked?” He shouted in response, and San, who sat where Seonghwa laid the night before, grinned at him.</p>
<p>“No, just leaving.” The red haired giant said, rubbing his reddened face. “Why would you smack your junior?”</p>
<p>“Why would you yell in your senior’s ear?” Max retorted, placing his glasses where they belonged, finally seeing things right.</p>
<p>“He’s got a point.” San said, standing up.</p>
<p>“You always side with Max, it’s not fair.”</p>
<p>“That’s because I’m always right, Mingi.” The boy mumbled, gaining a smile from the giant in response. Grabbing his bag up from the floor, he scanned the room for any of their belongings. “Yeah, it’s good. Let’s go.”</p>
<p>The three men left the room, stretching and scratching their backs, walking down the stairs to meet their crewmates, who ate in a comfortable silence.</p>
<p>All of them looked rested enough, except Leo, who was walking funny from the counter to one of the tiny tables on the corner, dark bags under his bright green eyes.</p>
<p>Wooyoung looked smug.</p>
<p>“So, what you’re saying,” Yeosang talked to the latter, scooting to the side as Max approached them, and sat down beside him. “Is that the ladies ditched you after one round and you had to make do with each other?”</p>
<p>“Stop fucking bragging to everyone, Wooyoung.” Leo grumped, stabbing the eggs on his plate angrily.</p>
<p>“It’s true, then.” Hongjoong said, and the whole crew laughed as the british man got flustered.</p>
<p>“You are all disgusting.” Jongho mumbled, side eyeing the older men around him.</p>
<p>“Says the one who went all out at the orgy on the Orman island.” Yunho said, and Chan had to stop their youngest member from strangling the giant with his bare hands.</p>
<p>Seonghwa chuckled.</p>
<p>“Wooyoung passed his fungus to Leo?” Max piped up, genuinely curious, and Mingi howled with laughter, almost choking on the bread he munched.</p>
<p>Leo flushed more.</p>
<p>“I already said I don’t have dick fungus!” Wooyoung shouted, and the other patrons on the inn looked at him wide strange expressions on their faces.</p>
<p>“Sure you don’t.” San whispered, gaining a sharp jab from Max’s elbow. “Hey!”</p>
<p>“Sorry, it slipped.”</p>
<p>“The look on your face screams ‘lie’.”</p>
<p>Max grinned at his friend, scooting a bit to get out from the men circle that formed around him. Walking up to the counter, he grabbed a piece of bread and a cup of fresh water, turning around to come back to his table-</p>
<p>- when he bumped into a broad chest clad in a white blouse and a brown leather coat, golden spheres pinned to the fabric.</p>
<p>He knew that coat.</p>
<p>“S-Sorry.” He mumbled, looking up to find steely grey eyes staring right back at his face. “Uhm, excuse me?”</p>
<p>The stranger made no sign to move, so the foreigner stepped to the side.</p>
<p>The man did too.</p>
<p>The whole place went silent.</p>
<p>Yunho and Seonghwa stood up, ready to step in between if needed.</p>
<p>“I know you.” The man finally said, greasy hands grabbing Max’s arm. He dropped the cup in shock, spilling the water on the floor. “You!”</p>
<p>Seonghwa hurried to his friend’s side, ready to beat the stranger to a pulp if he even looked at Max wrong.</p>
<p>“You! I can’t believe it!” The man shouted, laughing in disbelief.</p>
<p>Max felt tears well up in his eyes, remembering the time where he had to run away from Marianne in such a haste, risking his life to get to Cletos earlier than planned.</p>
<p>This old man, the one who wasn’t so drunk when he tried to steal some gold from him.</p>
<p>A pirate.</p>
<p>Seonghwa reached out to Max’s arm, already pissed off, when the man opened his mouth to speak again.</p>
<p>“You’re the girl who tried to steal from me!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*gasps* didn't see that coming?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. V - Answer.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Maxwell comes clean to his crewmates.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warning: attempted sexual assault, and mentions of a lot of blood. Just skip the alley scene if you want to!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hongjoong stood up from his place at the table, enjoying the deafening silence that fell upon the place.</p><p>Maxwell (?) sprung to action, jabbing his hand over the man’s throat, finally having his arm released as the stranger choked on air.</p><p>“You must be confusing me with someone else.” He said, stepping to the side, where Seonghwa took the lead, pushing himself in front of the younger man.</p><p>“You little fucker.” The pirate spit out, glaring daggers at the foreigner. “You just cut your hair and thought I wouldn’t recognize you?”</p><p>“I’m not-”</p><p>“I gave you that scar on your forearm.” He said, and Max put his hand over a pinkish slice mark on his left forearm unconsciously. “See? It’s you. You may look like a boy, but both of us know you have quite a few lumps underneath that shirt.”</p><p>Yunho and San stood up, but their captain stopped them with just a wave of his hand. Yeosang grit his teeth, and Leo was ready to ignore the pain in his behind in order to beat the stranger into a pulp.</p><p>“I can choke him with a spell.” Jongho whispered to Joong, who just shook his head, exasperated. “No? Okay.”</p><p>Seonghwa was quite red in the face now, an angry scowl making itself present. His fists were balled no each side of his body, and he really, really wished he could beat someone without injuring himself in the process – God knows Max would throw a fit if his wound reopened.</p><p>“Seonghwa...” Said boy mumbled behind his body, pulling on the hem of his white shirt. “Can I kill him?”</p><p>“No.” <em>If anyone is going to do it, it will be me.</em></p><p>The old man shouted something unintelligible from behind the counter, and the pirate scoffed before looking back at Max over Seonghwa’s shoulder.</p><p>“See you outside, <em>girlie</em>.”</p><p>The man proceeded to leave the inn, followed by four other men, as ragged-looking as himself.</p><p>Max sighed deeply, hanging his head down in relief.</p><p>“Should have killed him when I had the chance...” He mumbled, and the Quartermaster turned around, scanning the boy’s body.</p><p>Round, cute cheeks, small but bright onyx eyes, with long lashes adorning them, hidden by the glass lenses; cute neck, quite tanned, wide shoulders, a... small lump on his chest. Definitely a pair of lumps hidden underneath the shirt, something he never took notice of before. His mind traveled to the past night, where he got drunk and suddenly barged into the bath room, where a fuzzy memory of max curled up with wide eyes popped up. He was scared, not because of Seonghwa barging in...</p><p>But from Seonghwa noticing that he had the body of a woman all along.</p><p>“What is your name?” Hwa asked, and Max looked up, blinking slowly.</p><p>“Max-”</p><p>“Your real name.” He said, surprising the younger boy (?). His voice wasn’t angry or impatient, just... gentle.</p><p>“Can I- Can we discuss this onboard the ship, please?” He asked, and the Quartermaster nodded, taking his hand and squeezing it.</p><p>Max flushed.</p><p>Hongjoong sighed, telling Wooyoung to pay the old man, before shooing he crew outside. His cousin pulled Max towards him, and he looked down at him, with a gentle smile plastered on his face.</p><p>“We board, then,” He motioned to the boy, and Seonghwa let go of his hand. “you tell us the truth.”</p><p>“I’m sorry.” The foreigner said, following the men out of the inn. Wooyoung followed hot on his tail. “But, can you really trust me?”</p><p>The Captain looked at Max as if he grew two heads, and Wooyoung put his arm across his senior’s shoulders.</p><p>“You were almost shot in the face because of me.” Seonghwa said, looking ahead. “If I can’t trust you, I can’t trust anyone.”</p><p>Max teared up, watching as the Quartermaster and Captain walked ahead of him and Wooyoung.</p><p>“That’s why you’re so tiny, despite being older!” Wooyoung laughed, receiving a teary glare from the boy. “Wait, are you crying?”</p><p>“No, I’m not,” The foreigner said, his voice coming out in higher pitch than usual. “shit, I should have told everyone since the beginning. I hate this.”</p><p>The blond hummed, arm still draped over the shorter’s shoulder-</p><p>-when he was flung off by two men, dragged to a shady alley, accompanied by the old fart and his small crew.</p><p>Max stared at the man with wide eyes, hand flying to his waist in a reflex.</p><p>“Did ya really think I would go my merry way without getting a piece of you, <em>girlie</em>?” The pirate asked, and his goons laughed at the angry look in the boy’s face.</p><p>Wooyoung stayed still, waiting for Max’s signal. Their crew was already far away, and it would be a while until they noticed Wooyoung’s loud mouth was nowhere to be heard, and the foreigner was usually as quiet as one could possibly be.</p><p>“I should have killed you that night.” Max hissed, hand closing over his dagger’s handle. “What a pain in the ass.”</p><p>“That’s what you will have as soon as me and my men finish with you.” The pirate answered, and the men laughed along like marionettes. “Say, girlie,”</p><p>“Wooyoung, do it.” Max said, tired of the bullshit situation.</p><p>The blond smiled, kicking the man who held his right arm, and elbowing the other.</p><p>Max lunged himself to the men beside the old fart first, beating them up with the strength no one could imagine he had, leaving them in bloody messes, only stopping when their leader let go of his initial shock to hurl the boy off them, throwing him onto the brick wall with ease.</p><p>Wooyoung tried to help, the poor man, but one of the men he beat up found a stray, cracked bottle on the ground, stabbing his leg with it. He screamed, falling down, and removed the bottle from his flesh, smashing it against the man’s head.</p><p>Max sat up, head fuzzy, with something warm trickling down his temple. The man walked up to him, kneeling on one leg, and gripped his chin harshly.</p><p>“You’re a though one, <em>girlie</em>.” Max felt a coppery taste in his mouth, but refrained from spitting on this guy’s face; he didn’t deserve it. “You escaped once, but now... oh, I will have so much fun with you.”</p><p>
  <em>He deserved much, much worse.</em>
</p><p>“Your definition of fun seems pretty warped to me.” He tilted his head to the side and smiled, bloody teeth and all. “Let’s do something else, shall we?”</p><p>Max’s arm flung up, and his dagger’s blade buried itself to the hilt inside the man’s throat. He coughed, then, choking on his own blood, eyes wide at the realization that no, he did not win this round, and would not win anything else, ever.</p><p>The pirate’s body fell to the side with a ‘thump!’ and the foreigner pulled his dagger out, securing it back on his belt. He crawled over to Wooyoung, who looked like he would pass out at any second – not from blood loss, thankfully; the wound was shallow, although dirty.</p><p>“Woo- Wooyoung! Don’t pass out, man.” The boy exclaimed, placing the blond’s head on his lap. “Come on, stay awake!”</p><p>“I didn’t sleep a wink last night,” The man replied, and Max choked out a laugh. “let me nap. I just beat up two people.”</p><p>A shout brought their attention to the alley entrance, where San tried not to trip over the bloody people and the one corpse.</p><p>Mingi came in right after him, followed by the rest of the crew.</p><p>Mingi and Jongho picked Wooyoung up; the latter mumbled a few words in latin, and the wound on the blond’s leg shimmered for a few seconds before it stopped bleeding.</p><p>San helped his friend up, wincing when he saw the quantity of blood that covered the side of his face, sticking a few strands of black hair to his temple. The corner of the foreigner’s mouth had dried blood on it, his left arm was full of scratches from when he was tossed into the wall.</p><p>“Shit, man. I leave you for three minutes and this happens!” The red haired man said, and then, the dam inside of Max broke.</p><p>He sobbed, tears trickling down his cheeks, leaving clear trails amidst the dirt around his face.</p><p>“Why are you crying?” Yeosang asked, appearing out of nowhere as they left the alley. “You killed him, it’s okay. He won’t bother you anymore.”</p><p>“Wooyoung, he- he got hurt because of me.” Max said, with a shaky voice. “Because I couldn’t finish the job before.”</p><p>Hongjoong turned around then, having walked just a few steps ahead of his crew members.</p><p>“He got hurt because that piece of shit pirate couldn’t keep his fucking hands to himself.” The captain said, and Max swore he never saw the man look so angry before. “Because I left both of you behind, knowing that fucker was still around, even after he tried to touch you.”</p><p>Max kept silent.</p><p>“It’s because we didn’t think he would insist on trying to get to you.” Seonghwa, now beside their captain, finished Joong’s thought. “We weren’t careful enough.”</p><p>“But-”</p><p>“No ‘but’s.” The sandy-haired man interrupted his junior. “You’re part of our crew. We have to take care of you, just as you took care of us every day since you boarded the Treasure.”</p><p>Max stifled a sob.</p><p>Even after lying to them about who he was, they still trusted him, cared about him, treated him like <em>family</em>.</p><p>They finally arrived at the docks where the ship swayed gently with the waves. The sight of the dark wood almost made Max cry out with joy.</p><p>“I missed you so much,” He whispered, touching the deck as San let him sit down on the wood. “ah, man.”</p><p>Yunho chuckled at the sight.</p><p>Wooyoung sat on the poop deck, where Jongho kept his hands above his leg, mumbling and whispering words in latin.</p><p>“Mingi, pull up the anchor!” Hongjoong shouted, as Yeosang climbed up to the crow’s nest. “Yunho, set sail!”</p><p>Leo helped Chan turn the steering wheel (The poor guy had wound after wound on his arms), as Seonghwa and San sat near Max.</p><p>“Everything alright?” The captain asked his crew, receiving shouts of ‘aye!’ all over the place. “Good. Now gather ‘round, because Max wants to tell us something.”</p><p>Said boy flushed red as everyone formed a half circle around him, watching his every movement intently.</p><p>“Okay, uhm. This is awkward.” He looked up, and Joong nodded at him with a gentle smile. “First of all, I ask you to understand that the things I’m about to tell don’t change the fact that I’m still the Max you know. I’ve been nothing but honest with everything besides the fact that I was born a girl.”</p><p>San gasped in fake shock.</p><p>“I will still choke you, San. Don’t try me.” The foreigner said, and his friend smiled at him. “Okay... let’s start over. My name is Melina, but you can call me Mel.”</p><p>“That’s a pretty name!” Mingi exclaimed from his place near Wooyoung, and the latter smiled.</p><p>“Second that!”</p><p>“Thank you.” Mel mumbled, blinking. “Where do I start...”</p><p>“The beginning is cool.” Yeosang said, and gained a smack on the arm from Yunho.</p><p>“Okay, ‘Sang. Well, I was born in august 5<sup>th</sup>, 1825.”</p><p>“I can’t believe you’re really older!” Wooyoung shouted, and it was Jongho’s turn to smack him.</p><p>Seonghwa looked up at the expression of thought on Mel’s face, reaching out his hand to touch the foreigner’s knee. When they looked up at him, he smiled.</p><p>“Keep going.”</p><p>“I was born at a small village in South America. My parents were really young, not married, so you can imagine the ruckus it caused. They did get married a year later, though. My mom taught me how to read when I was three; how to cook since I was nine years old, so I could help at my relatives’ house, and my dad taught me how to help him with some tough work like carry wood around, cut it up and make shit with it.” A small pause followed by a hum. “Mom was from a well off family, so she had education. Dad was from a poor family though, so he barely knew how to read himself. My grandma from my mother’s part was a teacher, a bit stuck up, but helped her raise me until I was two. She left us to fend for ourselves after that.”</p><p>“That’s mean.” Yunho said, and Leo patted his shoulder.</p><p>“It’s okay, Yun. I learnt how to do things by myself from a young age, things people looked down on me for, because oh my goodness, a girl building a shelf for the bakery? Outrageous!” The crew chuckled at that, and Mel smiled. “So, when I was 12, my mom gave birth to my little brother. I learnt how to take care of a baby, too, as she had to go out to work after he was two years old. I cooked, built shit and looked after a baby while my parents worked. It was tough, I was tired all the time, but it was worth it.”</p><p>Looking up to the sky, the foreigner sighed.</p><p>“When I was 17, someone asked for my hand in marriage.”</p><p>Wooyoung hollered.</p><p>“Damn, popular with the boys, huh?” San said, and Seonghwa hit him over the head. “Ow, hyung!”</p><p>“I declined the offer, dad got mad at me. Called me a whore, didn’t speak to me for two weeks.”</p><p>“That’s... dumb.” Mingi mumbled, gaining a chuckle in response.</p><p>“Really is, Mingi. At that time, I had cut my hair at shoulder length, already making my parents mad at me. After that happened, I cut it ear length, and people at the village started to look at me even weirder than before.” Mel picked at their small fingers. “I started bandaging my breasts and use a tight top over that, and then I put a loose shirt over it. I never wore dresses anyway, so that wasn’t really a big change.”</p><p>A deep sigh.</p><p>“I never felt like a girl, but not a man either. I just was.”</p><p>“Ohh, just like-” Leo said, and Hongjoong shut him up.</p><p>“We know people like you.” The Captain said, and Mel smiled. “Please, go on.”</p><p>“I wasn’t the daughter my parents wanted me to be. It was obvious dad had wanted a son from the beginning, but had to make do with what he had. With me.” They let out a dry laugh. “One day, when I was 19, the british arrived at our village.”</p><p>“Fucking redcoats.” Jongho hissed, and chuckles erupted around them.</p><p>“They took the men as slaves. One man of each house, they said. My dad was young, but not as young as I was.”</p><p>San gasped. “You didn’t.”</p><p>“I did. I stood in front of him, dressed as a man, with short hair and a low voice. It wasn’t that hard to pick me over him.” Mel stretched out their legs, deep in thought. “My brother and my mom cried, and dad looked like he regretted something. I just had time to pick a small bag and stuff a pair of clothes and my notebook inside it. Then, I left the village and my whole family behind, stuck in a ship with over sixty men from all around my state. I had to fight off some of them who were so deprived of touch they would take what they had.”</p><p>“Disgusting.” Yeosang said, angry at the whole story.</p><p>“That they were. We sailed for a day, though; it was quick. Stopped at the homeland, Portugal, where we were taken to a sugar cane plantation. I was lucky dad put me to work when I was young, because man, the soldiers did not go easy on the whip at the people who couldn’t cut the canes fast. As I was used to cut trees, those canes were three times easier to work with.”</p><p>“So you never got whipped?” Yunho asked, receiving a mumbled ‘no’ in response.</p><p>“This takes us to the sixth week I ‘worked’ there.” Mel smiled then, as if the memory was something they were fond of. “Some Korean nobles arrived at the plantation, taking some of their children along. Among them, there was a boy a few years older than I; a scholar, who, like me, picked up the English language by hearing the soldiers talk. It wasn’t really hard.”</p><p>“Jihoon?” Yeosang asked, and the foreigner nodded.</p><p>“He talked to me after the master of the house requested someone to show him around the plantation. I have no idea why he asked that, but I will not complain, either. He was the first friend I made at that forsaken place, and the one who gave me enough gold to run away on a ship.” Their cheeks flushed at the memory. “A few weeks after he arrived, he arranged me a ship to Marianne. Helped me sneak out of the house with my small bag, covered me with his coat and said he would miss our talks. He bid me goodbye, and k-kissed me on the lips-”</p><p>“Ayy!” Mingi hollered with Wooyoung while San yelled out a ‘what?!’ and Yunho tried to shut his friends up.</p><p>“Then I left, robbed drunk men on that island, and the rest, all of you know. Thank you for hearing my story, goodbye-”</p><p>“They’re embarrassed!” Yeosang teased, and the Captain joined his crew on the teasing.</p><p>Seonghwa didn’t look amused.</p><p>“Why do you want to get off at Cletos?” He asked, and the men finally shut up, curious.</p><p>“One of my aunts live there with her daughter. My mom’s youngest sister.” Mel rested their cheeks on their hands, trying to hide the dark color that rested there. “It’s the only place I can be safe now.”</p><p><em>‘It’s not true.’</em> The man thought. <em>‘You can be safe with this crew.’</em></p><p>“Well, that was a lovely story,” Chan said, cocking a brow. “but it doesn’t explain how you have those fighting skills, and the way you know how to patch us all up.”</p><p>“Well, the fight comes from the horde of cousins I had. Twelve, maybe thirteen boys, that saw me as nothing but a younger brother. I learnt how to defend myself whilst trying to catch some of the potatoes my great grandma cooked, which definitely wasn’t enough to all of us.” They answered, smiling fondly at the memory. “About the medical skills... well, I always injured myself when I was younger, either from cutting wood or building shit, or just by being clumsy. I had to patch myself up, and then I started patching my cousins up, and one thing led to another.”</p><p>“So it’s all thanks to your cousins.” Jongho concluded, and Mel nodded. “Nice.”</p><p>Seonghwa stood up, heading to the stairs, not sparing a glance to anyone.</p><p>“Where you going, Hwa?” Hongjoong asked, also standing up.</p><p>“I have to start to peel vegetables for dinner.” He looked back at Mel, who stared at his retreating form. Then, he proceeded to smirk. “You can mop the ship, <em>Mel.</em>”</p><p>The crew stood up with a few groans (Mostly from Leo. The poor man was still sore), heading to their respective places.</p><p>“Okay, but why is no one asking about the most curious thing?” San piped up, and his friend looked at his face. “How the fuck did your glasses stay intact after that dude threw you onto the wall?”</p><p>Chan snickered at the question, and Mel just smiled.</p><p>“I wish I knew, buddy. I fucking wish.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Wizard Jongho makes an appearance and- yes, this is a shameless self-insert. U got it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. VI - Stay.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Feelings are spilled.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Seonghwa didn’t know if he should laugh or cry.</p>
<p>It’s been exactly seventy days since Mel joined the Treasure’s crew, and he could almost feel his brain combust as a yell echoed through the ship.</p>
<p>“AY, CHAN!” The foreigner’s voice yelled out, underneath the deck, as said man ran up the stairs and tried to find a place to hide.</p>
<p>Yeosang snickered from his place on the crow’s nest, safely hidden away from their doctor’s wrath. Chan ran around the deck like a confused chicken, finally choosing to hide behind Yunho’s giant figure – which didn’t work out anyway, because he had a broad body himself – as Mel stalked up the wooden steps towards the main deck with an angry look on their face.</p>
<p>Since their secret was spilled, they walked around dressed more comfortably; they didn’t bandage their breasts tightly anymore, as it was a rather large clump of flesh, so it hurt their back most of the time. Now, they just wore a vest underneath their shirt, letting their chest breathe (it made Mingi trip over his own feet the first time they did that. The volume was quite big). Aside from that, and the medium pitched voice – the natural pitch, not the low fake one -, everything was the same.</p>
<p>They were the same person the crew came to trust over a short period of time.</p>
<p>The same large smile over small things, the same mouth that cursed more than a pirate that was shot in the balls, same fluffy hair that stuck up in windy days, same instinct to protect their friends-</p>
<p>It was their friend.</p>
<p>“I fucking told you not to lift those barrels-” They said, walking up to Yunho (who only smiled at the adorable angry person in front of him), as Chan ran to the poop deck, jumping over some boxes on the way. “AY, CHAN!”</p>
<p>Seonghwa stayed out of their way, leaning on the railing of the poop deck, mop and bucket resting beside his body. He finally took up the chore from the doctor, complaining they didn’t clean up as well as he did (Which was a blatant lie he made up as he saw the red, angry marks on the center of Mel’s hands; he was stern, yes, but not cruel.).</p>
<p>Hongjoong looked up from the steering wheel, watching the interaction with an amused smile. Wooyoung walked to and fro on the main deck - bringing up the boxes they were supposed to discharge at Comprido Island -, contemplating if he should trip Chan over so the blond could get his ass handed to him, or if this show was way more amusing to watch.</p>
<p>“You said it healed!” The man finally screamed back at the small form running after him, pointing to his shoulder as he skidded to a stop in front of San. “You even took off the bandages!”</p>
<p>“I told you it fucking healed, not that you could go around lifting barrels to keep your muscles in shape, you idiot!” The foreigner exclaimed, finally getting near their target, hitting him over the head with their open hand. “You could stretch the skin and tear it open again!”</p>
<p>Jongho snickered as he put down four of the boxes easily, with just an arm, on the wooden floor.</p>
<p>“These were the last ones, Captain.” The boy said, receiving a nod in response.</p>
<p>“If I see you getting near a barrel, I swear you won’t have any arms to lift them up anymore.” Mel said, pulling Chan to the stairs by the ear (Leo cackled as he passed by them, and Wooyoung tripped him instead.).</p>
<p>San followed his friends, along with Jongho, done with the box carrying chore; they opted to kill some time practicing a few spells the younger found on a book he stole from a noble in Marianne Island.</p>
<p>Back at the main deck, Hongjoong gave his cousin the side eye, seeing him stare at their doctor’s retreating behind.</p>
<p>“You have the hots for them or something?” He finally said, and Seonghwa almost slipped over the railing in an abrupt movement to straighten his back.</p>
<p>“Who?” The black-haired man asked, and the Captain looked at him with a funny expression.</p>
<p>“Really, Hwa? You think you can fool me?”</p>
<p>“I don’t have the hots for anyone. I just- just value them as a friend, and have a deep respect as they saved my life-”</p>
<p>“You literally have a hard dick right now.”</p>
<p>Seonghwa sputtered then, face flushed red, trying to cover the obvious extra volume in his leather pants.</p>
<p>It didn’t work.</p>
<p>“I- I’m going to prepare dinner.”</p>
<p>“Suit yourself, man.”</p>
<p>Mingi snickered as he heard the whole convo, sitting on the main deck as he and Yunho looked over a map. Sneakily (as much as he managed, at least), the red-haired man pecked Yunho’s cheek, giggling as the older man hid his face in his hands in embarrassment.</p>
<p>“Almost as obvious as those two.” Joong whispered, watching the midday sun.</p>
<p>Seonghwa descended the stairs, ignoring the shouts in latin that came from the hammock room. A spark flew out the door, exploding into tiny little stars in the air near the window, and Jongho yelled something unintelligible at San.</p>
<p>“You’re going to set the ship on fire!” Mel yelled at them from near the rum barrels.</p>
<p>“It’s just light, mom!” Jongho yelled back, gasping right after. “Shit!”</p>
<p>“You called them mom!” San howled with laughter, coming out of the room, running away from his friend’s murderous fists. “This is-”</p>
<p>“Shut the fuck up!” The younger hissed, red in the cheeks. “That wasn’t meant to come out!”</p>
<p>Mel only chuckled at the boys, handing Chan a cup with a light-yellow liquid in it. They sat up on one of the barrels, signaling the man to drink it.</p>
<p>“What is this?” The blonde asked, leaning against one of the ship’s wooden walls. “Looks like piss.”</p>
<p>“Chamomile tea, you idiot.” The doctor said, stressed out. “It helps with the healing, so you can lift these shitty barrels without tearing your shoulder off.”</p>
<p>“Baffles me how he didn’t lift them while it wasn’t healed yet.” Hwa said, leaning into the barrel Mel was seated. “I’m going to make dinner. Can you help me chop the vegetables?”</p>
<p>“Sure!” They said, with a bright smile. “If I find out you didn’t drink this tea, I will personally rip off your balls, Chan. And I <strong>will</strong> find out.”</p>
<p>The blonde sipped the tea, trying not to shiver at the threat.</p>
<p>Seonghwa grinned.</p>
<p>Mel hopped down the barrel, following the Quartermaster to the kitchen to prepare whatever it was he had planned for the evening’s menu. They had already helped the man with food before, as he discovered their doctor had quite a good hand to spice and cook.</p>
<p>“I’m going to make some fried rice with fish. Cut up carrots, cabbage, broccoli and pick out some peas, please.”</p>
<p>“Aye!”</p>
<p>Hwa tried not to smile.</p>
<p>Mel picked out the vegetables, putting them on the table. They picked out the peas first, laying the small orbs inside a wooden bowl and washing them. Then, they proceeded to cut the carrots into small triangles, chopped the broccoli and cabbage into fine pieces, and dumped everything on a pan with boiling water.</p>
<p>“I always get surprised at how fast you cut things.” The man said, looking at the – now – sitting figure behind himself, whilst he skinned the fishes.</p>
<p>“In comparison to wood, vegetables are really easy to chop.” Mel answered, picking at their short nails, leaning onto the small wooden table with their elbow. “I used to help my mom with food at home too, so…”</p>
<p>Seonghwa nodded, hearing the longing in his friend’s voice.</p>
<p>“Do you miss your family?” He asked, now turning his head to look at their face.</p>
<p>“I do, but…” Wide black eyes stared at the man as he yelped in surprise, and the doctor leapt up from their seat to look at what happened. “Jesus, Hwa!”</p>
<p>The man looked at his own finger with wide eyes as it let out a considerable amount of blood from such a small cut. The foreigner turned the man around by his shoulders, snatching the knife from his hand and placing it safely on the wooden bucket for dirty cutlery.</p>
<p>“Shit, shit, fuck.” The black-haired doctor said, eyes focused on the cut. “God, you can’t do that! What if you chopped your finger off?”</p>
<p>The quartermaster smiled lightly, as Mel scrambled to get a bowl with clean water to dip his finger in. Finally achieving their objective, they sighed, looking up to find the man with a fond smile on his face.</p>
<p>They flushed.</p>
<p>“What is it?” They asked, opting to watch the blood flow of the cut.</p>
<p>“You know, you really do sound like a parent.” Seonghwa answered, patting the side of the doctor’s head. “I think you don’t know that Jongho really meant it when he called you mom.”</p>
<p>“I know.” Mel mumbled, pulling Seonghwa’s finger out of the bowl. Down to the dish bucket the bowl went. “He ran away from his aunt’s house, right?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. The woman beat him everyday until he was 14.”</p>
<p>“And had enough.” They sighed, pulling a small glass with some ointment from their shirt’s breast pocket. “He had no figure to look up to when he grew up.”</p>
<p>“You walk around with that on your pocket?” Hwa asked, gaining a pointed look as answer. “I’ll take that as a yes.”</p>
<p>“Yes, because I happen to look after a group of children.” The doctor put a bit of the ointment over the cut, and reached up to their pocket once again, pulling out a small string of bandages.</p>
<p>“We appreciate how you look after us, though.” The quartermaster said as the cut was bandaged, and Mel tied the tissue with a small knot. “I don’t think any of us could have survived the Fleet attack if you weren’t here.”</p>
<p>Putting the medical supplies back inside their pocket, the foreigner looked up at the man.</p>
<p>“You were getting by just peachy without me, Hwa.” They said, smiling. “It’s true you need a doctor, but Jongho can heal everyone well enough by now.”</p>
<p>“His healing witchy shit isn’t enough, and you know it.” Seonghwa hissed, getting mad at how the doctor saw themselves as unimportant. “And you’re not just a doctor!”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I know. Resident mom friend, with dumb jokes and a way to attract dangerous people-”</p>
<p>“An important part of our crew, the one who saved us countless times,” He said, trapping the smaller person between his chest and the wooden counter. “the person who saved my life.”</p>
<p>Mel flushed, looking up at Seonghwa’s face. The sharp eyes who stared back at them, the cute bump on the bridge of his nose, the small mole on the upper side of his left cheek, the chiseled jawline, his full, soft lips-</p>
<p>And then, there was something poking their thigh.</p>
<p>“H-Hwa, I think-”</p>
<p>The man leaned his head down, rubbing his nose against Mel’s olive skin, right at the juncture of neck and shoulder.</p>
<p>“Please, don’t go.” He whispered against their skin, placing a kiss against it right after. “I don’t know why I’m- I don’t know what I <em>feel</em>, but I feel something and the thought of you leaving tears me apart.”</p>
<p>“Hwa-”</p>
<p>“Stop saying my name.”</p>
<p>“Jesus Christ, Seonghwa! You dumbass!” The doctor finally shouted, scaring the shit out of the quartermaster (also leaving him stunned for a few seconds, as his ear was just near their mouth), who lifted his head up just in time for the younger to pull at his ear. “Stop interrupting me. I also feel something, but I know it <em>is </em>your dick against me, and you just didn’t listen!”</p>
<p>The black-haired man yelped as Mel dragged him to the only chair available on the whole ship, making him sit down as they released his ear.</p>
<p>“Listen to me. Are you positively sure you’re not just horny?” They asked as the older man looked up, rubbing his sore ear. He crossed his legs then, cheeks as red as the tender flesh he tried to make alleviate the pain of.</p>
<p>“Yes, I am positively sure I am not just horny.”</p>
<p>“Good. What do you want me to call you?”</p>
<p>“Hwa.”</p>
<p>“You just told me not to say your name!”</p>
<p>“I’m in a delicate position here!” He retorted, hiding the volume in his pants with his free hand. “I like it when you call me Hwa. You never did it before, and it sounds nice coming from you.”</p>
<p>The doctor felt their cheeks flush, and sighed heavily.</p>
<p>“One last thing.” They mumbled, looking anywhere but the older man’s face. “I talked to the Captain a few days ago, and… I won’t leave the Treasure.”</p>
<p>Seonghwa stood up as quick as Mingi when he saw a cup of ale available, taking one of the foreigner’s hand in his.</p>
<p>“Really?”</p>
<p>“Yes, really.” Hwa squeezed their hand in his, with a bright smile on his face, and Mel’s heart melted. “Everyone knows I planned to live with my aunt in Cletos. You asked if I missed my family, right? I do. I miss them every single day, no matter what my father did to me. But here, I- I found a family. We have no blood ties, nothing in common except the fact that all of us needed a refuge, and now, each and every one of you has woven a way through my heart. They are my family, but the Treasure’s crew is too, and I would never abandon my family by choice.”</p>
<p>The doctor was crying by now, and Seonghwa placed their glasses safely on the table, swiping his thumb over their cheeks to clean the tears that rolled down there.</p>
<p>“I was going to tell everyone when they gathered to see me off at Cletos, just throw a ‘surprise!’ to watch their reactions, but you had to- to say that, oh God.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry…”</p>
<p>“Don’t be sorry, or I will beat you up.” They said, an angry pout formed over their lips, staring up at Hwa’s face. “I <em>feel</em> something too, and it wasn’t just your dick.”</p>
<p>Seonghwa snorted, and that adorable smile-slash-grimace adorned his face.</p>
<p>Mel wanted to kiss him.</p>
<p>So they did; a quick peck on his soft cheek.</p>
<p>Seonghwa stared at the person who scrambled away to the wooden counter, picking up a clean knife to continue from where the man left off.</p>
<p>“Ey, ma!” San yelled, sauntering into the kitchen (that became more cramped by the second), when Mel turned around, knife glistening with the sunlight that peeked through the round window above the counter. “Shit.”</p>
<p>“I told you they- oh.” Jongho mumbled, flushing upon seeing the doctor. “Sorry about earlier.”</p>
<p>“It’s okay, honey.” They answered honestly, with a small smile painting their lips. “I don’t mind.”</p>
<p>“So,” San drawled out the word, smiling down at his friend. “can I call you ma?”</p>
<p>“Do it and I will kill you, Choi San.”</p>
<p>“Good to know, ma. Bye!” Said boy ran off the room, leaving Jongho to follow his trail with a bashful smile.</p>
<p>Seonghwa stood up as Mel turned around, delivering a kiss to the top of their head.</p>
<p>They almost cut their own finger at that.</p>
<p>“I’m going to ask Wooyoung to help you with this.” He said, receiving a nod in response. “Be careful, okay?”</p>
<p>“I will.” They answered, wondering why their vision was foggy, until they spotted the glasses sitting on the table. Picking it up and placing it at their rightful place, Mel smiled. “Thank you, Hwa.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chan is babie, and definitely one of my favorite ocs.<br/>Jongho is also babie. Hurt my son, and you will get hurt back.<br/>Also, i just really love writing the crew's dynamics. They're all just... idk, man. I love friendship.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. VII - Precious.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Treasure's doctor passes out, and Seonghwa is eager to help them.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warning: Mentions of blood, period and uterus. Light smut at the cabin scene.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Fuck.”</p>
<p>San looked up from his place near one of the cannons, stopping the circular motion he set as he polished the dark metal. His friend, Mel, sat down on the wooden floor with a pained expression, looking like they just slipped on something and fell.</p>
<p>“Are you okay?” The boy asked, legitimately worried. “Did you slip on anything?”</p>
<p>“My legs just gave out.” They answered, standing up with the help of Jongho, that instantly got away from his own polishing work upon seeing his elder fall on their butt.</p>
<p>“Did you eat well this morning? Maybe it’s low blood sugar.” Wooyoung, who arrived just in time to see the interaction, inquired. Then, he gasped. “Or dehydration?”</p>
<p>“I’m fine, I’m fine.” The foreigner said, thanking Jongho with a small smile.</p>
<p>“You don’t look fine.” Leo arrived after Wooyoung, looking disheveled. He patted down his wild blond hair, proceeding slip his arm around the doctor’s waist. “You look tired, and your whole body is trembling.”</p>
<p>Mel just sighed shakily, blinking slowly. Their face looked ill, the olive tone now sickly pale, accompanied by dry lips.</p>
<p>“I’m fine, guys. I just need to rest for a few minutes.” They said, and San dropped the rag on the floor by the cannon, helping Leo carry the smaller form up the stairs.</p>
<p>“You’re not fine, stop.” The older boy said, looking serious for the first time in his life.</p>
<p>Both men carried Mel to the main deck, as they grimaced over some unknown matter.</p>
<p>Yunho, the first one to spot the trio, dropped the compass he held, rushing to take the doctor into his arms, bridal style.</p>
<p>That alerted the rest of the crew. Yeosang hurriedly slip down the master, almost burning his hands in the process; Mingi and Chan just stared dumbly at the strongest – along with Jongho – person they knew slumped against Yunho’s chest, head lolling back and forth with drowsiness the boys never knew they had; Seonghwa scrambled to get off the poop deck, almost tripping down the small step; Hongjoong let go of the steering wheel, opting to ask what happened to San and Leo.</p>
<p>“They just fell down on the lower deck, their legs gave out.” San said, looking frantically at his friend’s form. “They are well fed, and hydrated. I don’t know what happened!”</p>
<p>“San, calm down.” The Captain said, watching as Seonghwa stressed over Mel. “They are not wounded, so-”</p>
<p>“Why- Why are they bleeding, then?” Yeosang asked, pointing to a very obvious red splotch on the doctor’s pants, near their inner thigh.</p>
<p>A sigh left Seonghwa’s lips, as he patted the foreigner’s forehead.</p>
<p>“No fever. They must be cramping.” The quartermaster said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.</p>
<p>It took a few seconds for the meaning of Seonghwa’s words to be absorbed by everyone; when it was, though, Yunho flushed red, not looking at Mel’s pale face.</p>
<p>“Thank goodness.” Chan mumbled, and Mingi looked down at him, smiling.</p>
<p>“I forgot they have a uterus.”</p>
<p>“Me too.” Yeosang said, still staring at blood that seeped through the pants fabric.</p>
<p>Hongjoong shooed Leo and San back to their work, telling them to deliver the news to the other boys. He then looked at his cousin, that was already ushering Yunho inside his own cabin, placing Mel on his bed.</p>
<p>“Thanks, Yun.” The shorter man said, rushing downstairs to grab what he needed.</p>
<p>The blue haired man left the cabin, baffled at how quickly Hwa told him to place the doctor down on his bed, when he rarely let anyone – besides Joong – in.</p>
<p>“Well, at least they’re not sick!” Chan exclaimed, weirdly cheery. “I don’t know what I would do if they didn’t chase me around the ship at least once a week…”</p>
<p>“They do look really pale.” Yeosang said, then sighed. “They must lose a lot of blood.”</p>
<p>“They never fainted before, though.” Mingi said, and Yunho nodded. “By the time they’ve been with us, their period must have happened at least two times. The third one is now, so-”</p>
<p>“They endured that without giving us any sign two times.”  The blue haired man mumbled. “By five or six days, so in total it’s twelve days.”</p>
<p>“Fuck, man. They’re really the strongest person on this ship.” Mingi exclaimed, with wide eyes.</p>
<p>Hongjoong passed by them, towards the steering wheel.</p>
<p>“Indeed.” He confirmed, and the boys went silent.</p>
<p>Seonghwa appeared by the stairs, carrying a bucket with water and a clean cloth, entering his room silently.</p>
<p>And closed the door.</p>
<p>“I-” Yeosang opened his mouth, then closed it. “I’ll just go back to the crow’s nest.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, let’s get back to our work.”</p>
<p>Mel turned around on the bed, facing Seonghwa. The man just smiled at them, patting their head with a gentleness he rarely displayed.</p>
<p>He put the bucket down by the bed, leaving the cloth hang on the corner of the mattress.</p>
<p>“How are you feeling?” He finally asked, and the doctor huffed.</p>
<p>“Like shit. Like someone is stabbing me from the inside out, and a thousand redcoats stepped on me while dancing a fucking <em>valsa</em>.”</p>
<p>“What is a vall-sah?” Seonghwa asked, genuinely curious, and the foreigner held in a shaky sigh at how utterly <strong>precious</strong> the man looked at that moment.</p>
<p>“It’s… I think it translates to ballroom dance.” They answered, sitting up with a grimace. “Shit, I’m making a mess.”</p>
<p>The black-haired man widened his eyes, watching as the red splotch grew slowly.</p>
<p>“I brought a- a cloth, and some water. For you to clean up.”</p>
<p>Mel hummed, shuffling to the edge of the bed, trying not to make a bigger mess – luckily, the blood didn’t seep out onto the bed, just the pants. It was a miracle.</p>
<p>“Thanks, Hwa.” They said, grabbing the cloth with a small smile. Said man nodded, turning around with red cheeks.</p>
<p>He heard the shuffling of fabric, then it hit the floor with a dull ‘thump’. Another shuffling, and a very lighter fabric fell down too. Another one, but it was heavier and sounded wet (this one was, what he believed to be a ‘blood stopper’ or whatever it was those things were called).</p>
<p>“Why didn’t you tell any of us that you were in pain?” The quartermaster asked, fiddling with his hands as he heard a sigh.</p>
<p>“I’ve felt this for every month since I was twelve years old, Hwa. I just learnt to deal with it, leave it aside so I can do my shit without being bothered.”</p>
<p>“Even when it makes you ill?”</p>
<p>“I just have to stop for a few minutes. It’s not anything serious.” Another sigh, then the cloth was dumped into the water of the bucket.</p>
<p>“You almost fainted!” The man exclaimed, balling up his fists. “It is serious! What if you were in battle, or- or someone wanted to take advantage of you-”</p>
<p>“Seonghwa.” A hand over his shoulder made the quartermaster go silent. An arm wove itself around his abdomen, and a head dropped into his other shoulder. “I’m not worried about that because I <strong>know </strong>I‘ll have at least one of you with me. I can take care of myself, and when I’m not able to, I have you. I have my family with me.”</p>
<p>The man sighed, hanging his head down, placing his hands over Mel’s one, that sat over his shirt.</p>
<p>“Now, please don’t turn around, because even though I’m hugging you, I have no pants on and it’s embarrassing as all hell.”</p>
<p>He chuckled, completely elated with the doctor’s way of being. Then, something popped up on his mind, and he let go of Mel’s hand.</p>
<p>“One of my cousins said that, when she had cramps,” He mumbled, with flushed cheeks. “her husband would make her orgasm. That it helped with the pain. Is that true?”</p>
<p>The foreigner let go of Seonghwa in a hurry, flushing as more blood rushed out from their right place.</p>
<p>“Shit, I just cleaned myself!” They exclaimed, scrambling to wring out all the water and blood from the cloth, proceeding to clean their thighs all over again. “But- yeah, I guess it’s true.”</p>
<p>“Have you tried it?”</p>
<p>“Yes, Seonghwa, I have tried.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry if this bothers you.” He said, still trying hard not to turn around as he heard the doctor’s struggle. “I didn’t mean to.”</p>
<p>“It’s fine.” Mel mumbled, reaching between their legs to clean the excess that pooled there. A sigh left their lips as the cold cloth touched the flesh, soothing a bit of the pain. “It’s just embarrassing. I, just, I did it to myself.”</p>
<p>“Oh.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>Seonghwa closed his eyes, feeling ashamed of the thoughts that ran through his head, blood rushing down and making his situation worsen as his pants tightened.</p>
<p>“Hwa.” The doctor called out, gaining a hum as a response. “Why do you ask?”</p>
<p>The wet sound of the cloth hitting the water once again startled the man, that fidgeted a little.</p>
<p>“I wanted to test it out with you.” He said, honestly, and the tip of his ears flushed red. “If it helps, I- I just wanted to help, in any way I can.”</p>
<p>Mel shuffled a bit, seating with the round part of their butt on the very edge of the bed, trying not to let the blood run down to the mattress.</p>
<p>“You can,” They gulped, their whole face blushing bright pink now. “you can turn around now.”</p>
<p>The quartermaster blinked, and his lower head twitched in excitement.</p>
<p>“Are you sure?” He asked, worried. “I don’t want to do it if you don’t want to do it. I won’t get mad either! It’s fine if-”</p>
<p>“Park Seonghwa.”</p>
<p>“Yes?”</p>
<p>“Turn around, <strong>please</strong>, and make this pain go away. I think you can do it better than I ever did.”</p>
<p>He didn’t need to be told twice.</p>
<p>Seonghwa turned around, and his fantasies turned out to be completely, utterly disappointing upon setting his eyes on the person sitting down on <strong>his</strong> bed, naked from the waist down.</p>
<p> Mel looked at his face while chewing on the corner of their bottom lip, cheeks and nose bright pink from embarrassment, eyes bright and curious. Their top half was still clothed, with a sleeveless shirt underneath a baby-blue shirt, not hiding much of the volume on their chest – it was a bit bigger than usual, he noticed -, while showing the tanned arms and small hands supporting themselves on the mattress.</p>
<p>Their lower half was… something else.</p>
<p>Their pants made the plush, thick thighs be constricted, so their size was bigger now; their shin was lean and smooth, covered with thin, black hair strands, and their calf had strong, well-formed muscles.</p>
<p>He couldn’t really see their butt, but it looked plump and soft from the sides, with a few stretch marks covering the skin here and there.</p>
<p>“It’s okay if you don’t want to do it anymore,” The doctor said, as Seonghwa stood rooted on his place, a few meters away from them. “it might be gross anyway.”</p>
<p>They closed their legs, and the man finally stepped forward, taking their face in his hands. He tilted it up, seeing the curious look the foreigner gave him.</p>
<p>“I just wanted to burn this moment in my mind.” The quartermaster said, leaning down, brushing his lips over the younger’s forehead. “And it’s just blood, it’s nothing gross.”</p>
<p>“Good to know.” They said with a short giggle, closing their eyes as the man captured their lips in a sweet kiss.</p>
<p>It took a while for Mel to catch up, because, man, was Seonghwa a good kisser – he did it effortlessly, like it was the easiest thing. When they did catch up, moving along in sync, their pace picked up; it was still a sweet kiss, full of longing and unknown feelings pouring into the motions.</p>
<p>Their lips molded together like they were made for each other.</p>
<p>“Hwa-” The doctor mumbled against the man’s lips, breathing heavily. “It’s going to make a mess again.”</p>
<p>“Let me just,” He mumbled back, pecking their lips twice, moving up to their cheeks, enjoying the huffed laughs Mel let out at the feeling. “enjoy this.”</p>
<p>The foreigner hummed in response, enjoying the blatant affection the quartermaster showered them with. With a final peck to their lips, Seonghwa slid down to the floor on his knees, using his hands to spread Mel’s thighs apart.</p>
<p>He stared at their mound, flushed and a little swollen; the entrance had a bit of blood pooled around it, and more rushed out as the doctor clenched it involuntarily. The little nub above the entrance was definitely swollen, and Seonghwa smiled.</p>
<p>“I’m going to try to put a finger in, okay?” He said, glancing up to Mel’s red face. They nodded, taking off their fogged-up glasses and placing them near the top of the mattress.</p>
<p>And so, the quartermaster used his forefinger to gather some of the liquid, smearing it around the flesh. He caressed the entrance, hearing a shaky sigh leave the foreigner’s lips.</p>
<p>Slowly, he stuck his finger in, looking for any signs of discomfort on Mel’s face. They looked a bit sweaty, biting down on their lip, trying to keep silent.</p>
<p>“Does it hurt?” The man asked, gaining a laugh in response.</p>
<p>“No, not at all.”</p>
<p>“It’s so tight.” He mumbled, while moving his finger further inside. “It’s wet.”</p>
<p>“It’s bloody.” Mel retorted, gasping sharply as Hwa pumped his finger in and out. “Fuck!”</p>
<p>With his thumb, the quartermaster swiped at the bloody, swollen nub near the entrance his finger stroked in and out; the foreigner’s thighs closed reflexively, trapping his hand between them. Moving with more vigor, he quickened his pace, both on the pumping and stroking the engorged clit.</p>
<p>“I want to hear you.” He said, looking up at Mel. “Stop biting your lip.”</p>
<p>The foreigner opened their eyes, finding Seonghwa’s sharp eyes fixated on their face, hand trapped between their thighs, but still moving in a pace that made their body burn with pleasure. They let go of their bottom lip then, fisting the dark-blue sheets (that they only noticed now), moving their hips in time to Seonghwa’s thrusts.</p>
<p>“They- They’re going to hear, Hwa.”</p>
<p>“I don’t care.”</p>
<p>The doctor felt the pain in their stomach subside, slowly giving way to pleasure as Seonghwa skillfully fucked them to oblivion.</p>
<p>It was definitely better than when they did it.</p>
<p>They let out shaky moans, whimpering from time to time as the pleasure build up in their core; the friction inside combined with the circular motions on their clit was heavenly, making them pant and huff.</p>
<p>Seonghwa curled his finger up, and Mel jolted up, letting out a loud moan/whimper, letting go of the sheets to hold his forearm.</p>
<p>“Hwa, please- I’m-”</p>
<p>“Let go, love.” He said, leaning up to kiss their neck, biting and licking at a spot that got exposed from the disheveled shirt the doctor wore. “Just cum.”</p>
<p>The foreigner let out a quiet whimper as the tension on their belly exploded, letting out a considerable amount of cum mixed with blood. Their whole body trembled, hanging onto the black-haired man as if their life depended on it.</p>
<p>“F-Fuck, Hwa.” Mel mumbled, slumped against the man. “That was definitely better than myself.”</p>
<p>Seonghwa smiled, prying the doctor’s thighs open with his free hand, withdrawing the other from inside the flushed mound. He proceeded to wash his fingers on the water from the bucket; he grabbed the cloth and wrung it, using it to clean the excess of blood from Mel’s flesh.</p>
<p>They laid back down, enjoying the cool feeling of the cloth against them. Then, the cloth was dumped inside the bucket, and the quartermaster fished out a pair of clean pants from a chest on the corner of the cabin.</p>
<p>“What do you use to keep the blood from flowing out onto the clothes?” He asked, legitimately curious.</p>
<p>“Just a cotton or flannel cloth.” Mel answered, watching as the man grabbed a dark piece of random cloth out of the same chest.</p>
<p>“Will this do?”</p>
<p>“It’s perfect, Hwa.”</p>
<p>Seonghwa helped the doctor stand up – on shaky legs, he noticed with a smug smile -, and wear the pants, placing the folded cloth on the crotch area. He rolled up the hem of the pants, and placed Mel’s leather boots on their feet, standing up to admire his handywork.</p>
<p>“It’s a bit large, but I think it’ll do.” He said.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Hwa. Really.” Mel said, throwing their arms around Seonghwa’s chest.</p>
<p>The man smiled, hugging the doctor back.</p>
<p>“Be mine.” He blurted out, gaining a curious look from the foreigner. “I-I mean, not mine as in an object, you’re a person, but- I just, it’s-”</p>
<p>Mel laughed with flushed cheeks, Seonghwa’s blurry embarrassed face looking like the funniest shit they’ve ever seen.</p>
<p>“I get it!” They said, reaching a hand up to caress his cheek. “Yes, Hwa, I’ll be yours if you accept to be mine as well.”</p>
<p>“How could I not, when such a wonderful person asks me to?” The quartermaster answered, kissing Mel’s forehead. “It’s almost time for me to make dinner. Want to help me make some bread?”</p>
<p>“Yes!” They exclaimed, hurrying to get their glasses back. “I love to knead bread.”</p>
<p>Seonghwa opened the cabin door, carrying the bucket with the bloody water out.</p>
<p>“You knead bread better than I ever did. How are you so strong?” He asked the doctor, ignoring the knowing look Joong threw his way.</p>
<p>“They’re the strongest person on this ship, hyung.” Mingi piped up, gaining a smile from the foreigner.</p>
<p>“That,” He said, looking fondly at Mel’s smiling face. “they are.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>idk if i'm still shitty at writing smut so feedback is appreciated-<br/>also, i need a seonghwa. please.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. VIII - Promise.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The crew gets arrested. Fucking redcoats.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warning: attempted sexual assault, like, seriously. Lots of blood, really fucking lots of gore, some organs get cut off, beware of the private cell scene.<br/>I'm going to bold the sentences where it starts and it ends, so y'all can know.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“And then, their hair burst up in flames!”</p>
<p>“Wooyoung, shut the fuck up, for fuck’s sake!” Hongjoong hissed, almost hitting his elbow on a nearby wood plank.</p>
<p> Mel snickered at their Captain’s outburst, receiving a stern look from Seonghwa, who also almost hit the same plank as he looked back at their doctor. San and Yunho were sitting behind their younger crewmate, trying to spot any guards-</p>
<p>
  <em>Context.</em>
</p>
<p>The Treasure’s crew rested inside a cell in Comprido Island’s prison, under the accusation of theft (attempted!) and peace disturbance (because the guards tried to pat Jongho’s butt and Chan punched one of them, obviously).</p>
<p> The guards put them all together in one small cell, as if they would be bothered by having to lean on each other to fit – spoiler: they had no problem. Hongjoong was squished between Leo and Mingi, while Seonghwa tried to breathe behind his cousin. Wooyoung and Jongho were near the cell’s door, with Chan to their left, and behind them, Mel played with a piece of dead grass in the ground, hugging their knees close to their chest. Yeosang was seated beside the doctor, playing with a stray curl that stuck up from their head. San and Yunho sat behind them, and the latter almost pulled San into his lap – his legs hurt from being crouched for so long, the poor fella.</p>
<p>“You know,” Mumbled Jongho, touching the cold metal of the door with his forefinger. “I could light this place on fire.”</p>
<p>“And us with it.” Retorted Chan, releasing a sigh. “Unfortunately.”</p>
<p>A couple of guards walked down the stairs, pistols in hand; one of them stepped in front of the crew’s door, unlocking and opening it.</p>
<p>“The girl will be taken for questioning.” He said, and San stood up with a scowl.</p>
<p>“They’re not a girl!”</p>
<p>“And I’m a fucking scot.” Said the other guard, snickering.</p>
<p>“San, leave it.” Mel said, trying not to trip over their friends as they stood up. They looked back at Hongjoong, smiling. “I’ll be back soon.”</p>
<p>The crew just watched as Mel walked out of the cell, and the guard closed the door right after. The other one, a blond prick, led them by the shoulder to some unknown direction.</p>
<p>“Who wants to question me?” Asked the black-haired pirate, looking at the redcoat who walked them to a larger hallway, although it was as dimly lit as the other one; both sides were lined with wooden doors, and the extra guard opened one of them, at their right.</p>
<p>The redcoat threw the doctor on the ground, closing the door as the brown-haired one stepped forward.</p>
<p>“My cock.”</p>
<p>The foreigner rolled their eyes, sitting up in a comfortable position as the guard undid the buttons on his shirt. The blond one just watched everything from his place at the door, grinning as if he was going to watch the best show ever played.</p>
<p>“I’m curious,” Said Mel as they stood up, watching as the brunette’s gun fell to the ground along with his shirt. “why did you choose me?”</p>
<p>“Because you’re a woman.” The blond one said, as if it was obvious. “Our friend Matthew is the one who liked your big, blue-haired friend. I think they’re in the room to our left right now. You can hear each other get off.”</p>
<p>The doctor’s eyes darkened as they reached for the back part of their pants. Their hand closed around the dagger’s handle, glad that the redcoats were stupid enough to not search them for weapons – ‘What can a girl do?’ they said.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“You can do whatever you want, mister.” They said, in a sugary tone. “Except fucking mess with my family.”</strong>
</p>
<p>With a fast move of their arm and a flick of their wrist, the dagger hit the blond guard in the eye, slicing through the flesh and embedding itself into the skull. His body fell down with a dull sound, and as the brunette turned around to see just what the fuck happened, the doctor kicked him in the back, satisfied as he hit his chin on the cement ground and a crack resounded. With a final kick to the side of his head and a stomp (didn’t do much, just a little dent on the back of the skull), the doctor rushed to the other redcoat, pulling the dagger out with a little struggle.</p>
<p>The eyeball was pulled out with a pop, still trapped onto the blade. With a grimace, the foreigner pushed the viscous tissue with their forefinger.</p>
<p>“Fucking disgusting shits.”</p>
<p>They picked up the keyring, putting it on their pants’ back pocket; the door was unlocked, thankfully, and the doctor rushed to the door the redcoats said their friend took Yunho to.</p>
<p>Mel kicked the door open, as it was a redcoat habit to leave it unlocked with one of their pals guarding it; the man on guard was thrown to the ground behind the door, hitting his head on the wall quite violently.</p>
<p>Yunho leaned over a table in the middle of the room, with his front pressed to the wood, arms tied behind hid back; his rear was exposed, pants low over the back of his thighs, knees supporting his lower body by the way they stood firmly on the cement floor.</p>
<p>The other redcoat stared dumbly at the place the door stood, with his pants down and dick out.</p>
<p>“You fucking!” Roared the foreigner, and the guard tried to reach for his gun by the floor, near Yunho’s knees, but the pirate was faster. “BASTARD!”</p>
<p>They lunged at the man, throwing him to the ground, ending up above his body. Punch after punch was delivered to his face, with pure rage fueling the doctor’s movements.</p>
<p>
  <strong>They only stopped when they heard a sob come from Yunho, scrambling to get up as they left the man passed out on the ground.</strong>
</p>
<p>“Yunho, it’s me.” Mel said, feeling tears well up in their eyes. They cut the ropes around their crewmate’s wrists, freeing him. “Jesus, oh no.”</p>
<p>Pulling up his pants, they helped the blue haired man stand up. His face was dirty, as if the redcoats dragged him across the dusty hallways, and tear marks streamed down his cheeks. He sobbed once, twice, and finally broke down.</p>
<p>The doctor held their friend as he cried, holding in their own tears as Yunho grasped their shirt with an iron grip.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry I couldn’t get here earlier, Yun. I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have left you.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t even get to touch him, you cunt!”</p>
<p>The redcoat’s hoarse voice was all it took for the foreigner to get filled with rage once again. They let go of Yunho slowly, promising they would be back soon, and turned around, stalking towards the soldier.</p>
<p>“And you will never get to touch anyone again, you fucker.” Growled the pirate, crouching by the redcoat, still gripping their dagger tightly on their right hand.</p>
<p>With a sweet smile plastered onto their face, the doctor stuffed the man’s mouth with the rope they cut from Yunho’s wrists. They plunged the dagger’s blade onto the redcoat’s penis, happy as it was sliced off in a single movement. The muffled screams did nothing to stop them, as they cut off his fingers, one by one, with surgical precision.</p>
<p>Then, they stood up, leaving the bloody mess and the passed-out soldier on the floor.</p>
<p>“Let’s go before anyone notices they’ve been gone for too long, Yun.” Mel mumbled, leading their friend out of the door, confirming that the hallway was safe to go through. “I’m really sorry. Just know that, if you ever need to get this out of your chest, I’m here for you.”</p>
<p>Yunho sniffled, gripping his friend’s hand.</p>
<p>“Thank you.” He said, the never-ending flow of tears still streaming down his face. “They all tried to stop me from going, because they know I’m weak, but I couldn’t…”</p>
<p>“Yunho, never say that again!” Exclaimed the black-haired doctor, almost slamming their body into Yunho’s. Still gripping the man’s hand tightly, they descended the stairs to the cell their friends were kept. “Who kept the redcoats out of the ship when I was dead asleep during the fleet’s attack? Who helped Jongho out of that hole when he stepped onto a broke wood plank and got stuck because of the size of his butt?”</p>
<p>The pirate snickered at the memory, blinking away his tears as they approached the cells.</p>
<p>“Who lifted my weak ass up right off the ground when I almost passed out from bleeding? Who always cheers the crew up after a bad battle, who makes us all smile when everything seems shitty?” The doctor continued, ignoring the ruckus the crew made as they saw them and Yunho. “You’re the strongest person I know, Yun. I may have a nice punch and an affinity to stab people, but that’s not what strength is about.”</p>
<p>The man sniffled one last time, smiling down at his friend.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Mel.”</p>
<p>“You’re family, Yun.” They said, fishing the keys out of their pants’ pocket. “I love you. Don’t ever forget that, okay?”</p>
<p>Yunho smiled.</p>
<p>“I love you too.”</p>
<p>“Ay, we’re here too, you know!”</p>
<p>San’s shout brought the two out of their little world, and Mel scowled at their friend as they turned the key and opened the cell’s door. The men rushed out, some stumbling and almost falling out, checking on each other to see if everything was okay.</p>
<p>Mingi wiped Yunho’s dusty face with a small piece of fabric, fretting over the red marks on his wrists. Yeosang hugged the taller man, being the only one who heard as the redcoat whispered his plans to his crewmate.</p>
<p>“I’m glad you’re okay.” He mumbled in a small voice, and Yunho hugged both his friends, trying not to cry again.</p>
<p>“Let’s get out of here.” Said Chan, pointing to the side door, a few meters away. “They don’t guard that door.”</p>
<p>“Or the outside, really.” Leo mumbled, wondering why he ever associated with the English soldiers. “Fucking redcoats. Fucking England.”</p>
<p>Wooyoung and Jongho looked over Seonghwa’s shoulder, as he checked their doctor’s figure, patting their head, and whatever else he saw was covered in droplets or gushes of blood (pretty much their whole body).</p>
<p>“’m fine, it’s not my blood.” They said, and Hongjoong flicked their forehead until it was red. “Ay, captain!”</p>
<p>“You could have died.” He walked to Yunho’s side, flicking his temple in the same manner (San snickered as the older man almost didn’t reach it). “Both of you.”</p>
<p>“We didn’t, though.” Said the doctor, grabbing Seonghwa’s hands in theirs. “It’s just a matter of time until they notice something is wrong. Let’s just get out of here, please.”</p>
<p>“We should go.” Agreed Yunho, leading his crewmates out the door.</p>
<p>They all sighed as sunlight hit their skin, except Mel, who groaned lightly.</p>
<p>“We spent all night here?” The black-haired doctor asked, while they all rushed through the small patch of shops that were located between the prison and the dock where the Treasure rested.</p>
<p>“Yes.” Answered Jongho, trying not to stare at the bloody form beside him. “I should have burned those bastards before.”</p>
<p>“We all know we would all burn with them, Jongho.” Joked Wooyoung, sighing as they approached the ship. “Finally!”</p>
<p>“All board the ship!” Hongjoong yelled, and the crew ran up the wooden board, all rushing to their posts. “Set sail!”</p>
<p>A collective yell of ‘Aye!’ rang through the ship, and, in a few minutes, the ship was at full speed.</p>
<p>“Where to, Captain?” Asked Yunho, already opening a map near the poop deck.</p>
<p>“Tortuga. Full speed.” He answered, looking at his crew’s tired forms. “Can we get there by dusk?”</p>
<p>Yunho smiled as Yeosang climbed up the mast.</p>
<p>“Certainly, hyung.”</p>
<p>“Let’s go, then.”</p>
<p>Mel watched as their friends rushed around the ship, applying some balm on a cut on San’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“Did they touch you?” He asked, wincing as they stitched it up. “The guards?”</p>
<p>“They tried to.” They answered, honestly. “I killed one of them, though. Cracked the other’s skull. Don’t know if he died.”</p>
<p>“Thank the gods.” Jongho mumbled, sitting down by San’s side. “Hwa hyung was about to kick down the cell’s door by the time they took Yunho.”</p>
<p>The foreigner looked up at the sweaty man that talked with their Captain by the steering wheel; he looked disheveled, his hair was sticking up on a lot of places, and his shirt was torn near his forearm, stained with someone else’s blood.</p>
<p>He still looked stunning.</p>
<p>“He worries a lot about the crew.” The doctor finally said, tying a knot on the thread on San’s flesh. “Don’t strain yourself, or else I’ll have to stitch you up again.”</p>
<p>The brunette nodded, grimacing at the idea of having to go through the process again. He stood up, heading towards Yunho and Mingi, checking something on the map.</p>
<p>“Are you hurt, honey?” Mel asked Jongho, who kept staring at their face.</p>
<p>And a tear slipped out of his eye.</p>
<p>“Oh no, did they do something to you?” Asked the doctor, gripping the younger boy’s shoulder. “Jongho?”</p>
<p>“I thought I would lose you.” He whispered, rubbing a hand over his cheek, wiping the tear. “They took both of you and I couldn’t do anything. My friend and my-”</p>
<p>“Jongho, look.” Mel said, cupping the boy’s cheeks on the palm of their hands. “I’m not going to die easily. They might take me away, and they might hurt me, but I will always come back to my family.”</p>
<p>“We’re not-”</p>
<p>“All of you, you are my family, okay?” They said, a few tears spilling onto their glasses. “You found me and took me in when I had no one else. I chose to be with you, because I love you, and I will do anything to protect each and every one of you.”</p>
<p>Jongho hiccupped once, with red cheeks.</p>
<p>“You promise?”</p>
<p>“I promise.”</p>
<p>He smiled sheepishly then, looking up at Mel’s face.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry I called you mom.”</p>
<p>The foreigner chuckled, letting go of his cheeks in favor to ruffle his hair.</p>
<p>“It’s fine.” They said, with a cheeky smile. “I consider you my son, anyway.”</p>
<p>“Wait,” Jongho said, with wide eyes. “Who’s my dad?”</p>
<p>“That, my son,” They looked at Seonghwa, with obvious adoration. “Is a secret!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This one is my favorite chapter so far!! I cried writing Yunho's scene, but the satisfaction I got to kill those guards was priceless.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. IX - Wonderland.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The crew arrives at Tortuga, ready to get some rest. An old friend is introduced.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warning: light smut, once again. Hwa is too cute.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“And this is the pub owned by Joong hyung’s lover!” Exclaimed Wooyoung, loudly.</p><p>Said man flushed slightly, delivering a sharp slap to the back of the younger man’s head.</p><p>Mel smiled a bit, rubbing their sore arm, as San looked at them apologetically – he tried to punch Chan before, but the older crewmate was faster, running around their doctor as he was chased in the ship, hence the light bruise on the foreigner’s forearm. Yunho leaned into Mingi’s body, who, in turn, leaned into Yeosang, making their shorter friend lose his footing and almost topple down to the ground with both men. Seonghwa only watched the interactions from behind, sporting dark bags under his eyes.</p><p>Leo raised his hand and knocked on the door, waiting patiently as he heard a low voice shout ‘be right there!’.</p><p>Mel stared up at the building, marveling at the size. It was a big, wooden house, with three stories, painted in a dark blue color; it had various windows on the upper floors, but only two on the ground one (safety reasons, maybe?), accompanied by a wooden door in between the glass squares. A tall wooden fence rounded the building, creating a big field space around the sides, and probably the back, too.</p><p>“Do they have a garden or something there?” The doctor asked Jongho, who stood on their right side.</p><p>“No, it’s actually a hot spring.” The boy answered, receiving a surprised look from the older. “It’s quite large, too.”</p><p>“A pub on the ground floor, a few rooms and bathrooms on the upper floors, and a hot spring on the back.” Wooyoung said, leaning onto the foreigner’s left side. “They make a good sum of money renting the rooms to some famous pirates.”</p><p>“The place is all ours when we visit, though.” Chan mumbled, still flushed from the rendezvous he and San engaged at earlier. “Joong pays them with love-”</p><p>The wooden door finally opened, and a short person stepped out, staring up at Leo.</p><p>“I can hear all of you, you know.” They said, crossing their arms over their chest. “Quite loudly, Chan.”</p><p>The blonde man flushed even more, mumbling a ‘sorry’ under his breath.</p><p>Hongjoong walked up to the angry, tiny pub owner, and let out a big smile, teeth and all.</p><p>“Hi, love.”</p><p>“Don’t you ‘hi love’ me!” They exclaimed, shaking their fist in anger, sputtering as their short hair got into their mouth, result of the raging motions. “You spent five months away, Hongjoong! Five months, no signal of any of you!”</p><p>“We got caught up into some things…” The captain answered, motioning to the crew, still not very fond of the idea of touching his enraged lover. “The redcoats are getting friskier lately, we got a new crew member, then we got arrested-”</p><p>“And Mel stabbed some guards!” Wooyoung exclaimed, as if it was the best thing that ever happened in their lives.</p><p>As soon as the wide, chocolate colored eyes landed on his form, he shut up.</p><p>“A new member?” The pub owner asked, receiving a nod from Leo and Hongjoong.</p><p>Seonghwa chose that moment to lean his forehead against the doctor’s shoulders, finally succumbing into exhaustion. He sighed, hot breath hitting the nape of the foreigner, making them flush red in a few seconds.</p><p>The crew leaned away from the shorter figure’s way, letting their newest member gain all the attention.</p><p>They walked up to Mel, who fidgeted, embarrassed as Seonghwa didn’t budge.</p><p>“What is your name, darling?” They asked then, with a small smile, upon seeing the anxious look on the taller pirate’s face.</p><p>“Melina, but everyone calls me Mel.” They answered, body rigid. “Doctor, cook and stabber of the Treasure.”</p><p>Yunho and Yeosang snickered at the ‘stabber’ part, but the other remained neutral; it was no lie.</p><p>“I thought Seonghwa was the cook?” The orange haired person said, and Mel gulped as they looked down.</p><p>
  <em>They’re so tiny. I want to hug them.</em>
</p><p>“I help him most of the time now, when I’m not patching anyone up, or fighting.”</p><p>Said man snored, and Jongho let out a snort at the sound; Chan facepalmed, and Mel flushed even more, if possible.</p><p>“Well, Mel, nice to meet you!” The pub owner extended their hand towards the doctor, who gripped it slowly, afraid to use too much force on them. “You can call me Sky. Not a boy, nor a girl, just a person.”</p><p>The foreigner perked up at that, and Seonghwa leaned back dangerously, opening his eyes as quickly as he could in his drowsy state.</p><p>“Nice to meet you too! I’m not a girl, nor a boy either. Just me.” They answered, smiling brightly.</p><p>“Good to know someone like me.” Sky said, letting go of the pirate’s hand. “It’s getting dark, and all of you look dead tired. Come on in, you all know the way already.”</p><p>Leo entered first, being followed quickly by the crew. Sky motioned to Mel to follow them, promising to show them the place when they entered.</p><p>The doctor stayed behind though, helping a tired Seonghwa, making him lean into their body as they walked.</p><p>“We had to make sure the ship was at its best as we sailed today, so everyone is more tired than usual, even Hwa.” Explained the doctor, being accompanied by Sky as they navigated a few corridors.</p><p>“If you don’t mind me asking, what happened? What were you running from?” Asked the smaller person, now helping Mel lay Seonghwa down on a big bed inside a room. “The guys only come to Tortuga when they’re running away from something or someone.”</p><p>“The redcoats arrested us at Comprido, so we had to run from them when we escaped.” Mumbled the foreigner, smiling as the older male snuggled into the warm covers. “I killed a few of them there, so…”</p><p>“Yeah, the stabber part.” Sky motioned to the blood stains on the pirate’s clothes, and a few sprinkles of the red blood were still painted onto the skin of their neck and cheeks. “You’re quite bloody.”</p><p>“Shit, I have to clean myself.”</p><p>As if on cue, San entered the room with a leather bag in hand, and a small cloth sack on the other.</p><p>“Brought yours and Hwa hyung’s clothes!” He chirped, placing both of them on the corner of the room.</p><p>“Thanks, San.” Said the doctor, rubbing their eyes from under their glasses. “Why are you putting them all here, though? Isn’t this Hwa’s room?”</p><p>“Jongho said you were pretty comfortable sharing a room with them last time, so I figured I’d put you together.” He answered, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he mentioned Jongho’s name.</p><p>“He was also on the room last time, San.”</p><p>“He got a single room this time, though.” Said Sky, grinning as they noticed what happened. “You can go down to the springs at any time. There are a few buckets down there if you want to soak your clothes, to get rid of the stains. I’ll put salt in a couple of them for you.”</p><p>“Thank you so much.” They said, with a small smile. “Hey, San. Which time do the guys use the springs?”</p><p>“Most of them use the bathrooms. Wooyoung likes to soak there when it’s early morning, though.”</p><p>“I’ll go down right now, then. Thanks.”</p><p>Sky left the room first, already leaving the salty water buckets for their new friend to use. The rest of the crew took individual baths on the bathrooms, and others went down to drink as the owner opened the pub.</p><p>Mel decided to try their luck, shaking Seonghwa. At the third motion he woke up, opening his eyes blearily as he got used to the lighting.</p><p>“W-What time is it?” He asked, patting the doctor’s shoulder and arm, finally resting as he held their hand, squeezing it.</p><p>“A few minutes since we arrived.” They answered, pulling the man up to a sitting position with little effort. “Come on, let’s take a bath on the hot springs before you actually fall into a deep sleep.”</p><p>“I don’t want to walk.” The man had the audacity to <em>whine</em>. “Why do I have to bathe?”</p><p><em>Because now I’m turned on</em>, the doctor wanted to say, but they opted for the easiest answer.</p><p>“Because you stink of redcoat prison, Seonghwa.”</p><p>That made the man snap his eyes open, standing up in the speed of light. Mel let go of his hand, opting to grab their bag, and handing Seonghwa his own sack with clean clothes.</p><p>“Come on, Sky said the stairwell to the springs is on the back of the building. We don’t have to pass through any of the guys on the way.” Said the foreigner, already leaving the room, with the quartermaster in tow. “I don’t think they would find it weird, though…”</p><p>“The cleanest crew members heading down to a bath, not weird at all.” Answered Hwa, sighing as they descended the stairs and the warm air of the springs hit his nostrils.</p><p>Mel actually jumped in glee as they spotted the buckets with salty water, leaving their bag and boots beside them as they shimmied out of their pants. They were sweaty, dirty, bloody and reeked of sea salt.</p><p>It sucked.</p><p>Seonghwa smiled at the cute display, opting to leave his own sack near the leather bag; he stripped down to nothing behind the shorter pirate, grinning deviously.</p><p>“Come on, don’t be a slowpoke.” He whispered right near Mel’s ear, happy to see the way they shivered – not because of their poor state of dressing. Then, he kissed the spot right below their earlobe, blowing on it, and left just as the doctor flushed red to the tip of their ears, laughing as he ran towards the edge of the warm water.</p><p>And he slipped, hitting his tailbone on the rock ground, letting out a pained grunt.</p><p>The black-haired foreigner finished stripping in the blink of an eye, dumping their clothes inside the buckets. They walked slowly towards the quartermaster, careful as to not slip themselves, and crouched near him, helping the man get inside the water.</p><p>“That’s why you don’t run near water, Seonghwa.” They said in a scolding tone, sitting to his right inside the pond. “You can fall down and crack your skull, stupid!”</p><p>The man pouted, choosing not to retort as the warm water soothed the pain on his behind.</p><p>Mel moved their hands up and down their arms, rubbing off the grime and blood. Leaving their fogged-up glasses on the rock behind their body, they splashed water on their face, rubbing at their cheeks.</p><p>Seonghwa grabbed their wrists, lowering them, and resuming the cleaning himself.</p><p>“This is weirdly intimate.” The foreigner mumbled, flushing as the man rubbed off the dirt and blood from their skin.</p><p>He smiled, leaning forward, and captured their lips in a sweet kiss.</p><p>With a sigh, the doctor closed their eyes, enjoying the warmth of the water and Seonghwa’s body.</p><p>“H-Hwa, wait.” They mumbled against his lips, and the man hummed. “I’m kind of aroused…”</p><p>“Do you want to do anything?” He asked with a tiny smile, looking at the foreigner as if they were the most beautiful thing he ever laid eyes on. “Or do you prefer to take care of it yourself?”</p><p>Mel blinked slowly, deep in thought; they put their hands underwater then, rubbing Hwa’s thigh, moving around, until they found something warmer and- very stiff.</p><p>Seonghwa let out a whimper at the contact, letting his head drop onto the doctor’s shoulder.</p><p>“Just the hands… is it fine? For both of us?” The younger asked, receiving a nod against their skin, followed by a peck, and then, an open-mouthed kiss at the juncture between their neck and shoulder.</p><p>“It’s more than fine.” The man answered, dipping his hand towards the doctor’s mound. His mouth latched itself to one of their exposed breasts, and he moaned at the taste of their – now – clean skin.</p><p>Moving up and down at a leisure pace, the foreigner tried not to let their hand falter at the feeling of Hwa’s finger dipping inside of their sopping wet hole; their breath hitched a little, and the man asked if it hurt, resuming his movements as he received a negative response.</p><p>“I love you.” The doctor whispered, now stretched open by two fingers, moving in and out of their pussy, thumb circling their clit in slow, lazy strokes. “I love you so much it scares me.”</p><p>With his free hand, the quartermaster gripped the foreigner’s chin with a gentle motion, tilting it down; their eyes locked, heavy with lust and adoration and all the feelings they couldn’t put into words.</p><p>“I love you, angel.” Seonghwa whispered, once again capturing their lips with a sweet kiss. Their tongues met lazily, dominating each other in a moment that could last forever. “I will always love you, and I will do anything in my power to never, ever leave you behind.”</p><p>Mel blinked, and a few tears escaped their eyes at the overwhelming sensations they felt all at once; a hot, familiar feeling grew in the pit of their stomach, and they picked up their hand’s pace, panting as Seonghwa’s member pulsed in their grip.</p><p>With a last stroke of his hand, the quartermaster had Mel writhing above him, letting out a weak whimper of his name as he kept his motions, even as their walls throbbed and squeezed around his fingers.</p><p>“Hwa, I- it’s enough, please-”</p><p>“You look so, so beautiful right now.” He grunted, as the doctor resumed the desperate strokes on his member. “Fuck!” With a couple more squeezes, he throbbed and finally let out a hot trail of pearly cum on the water, and on the palm of the foreigner’s hand.</p><p>Seonghwa’s body slumped against Mel’s, who only stroked his hair as they came down from their highs. Both pirates panted heavily, warm and content in their own personal wonderland.</p><p>“You came on my hand.” Mel mumbled, lifting said hand from the water, still with a few strings of sticky cum on their palm.</p><p>They brought it closer to their face, noticing as the quartermaster lifted his head up from their comfortable place at the top of their breasts. With a low hum, they licked it from their palm, rolling it around their tongue and tasting it. “’s not so bad.”</p><p>Seonghwa felt his cheeks flush, and, with minimal effort, gripped the doctor’s cheeks in his hands.</p><p>“You can’t say something like that, looking so cute, after licking cum off your hand!”</p><p>Mel only smiled up at the man, eyes almost disappearing, and pecked his lips three times. “Sorry, kitten.”</p><p>“You’re going to be the death of me.”</p><p>With a final kiss, he turned around and laid his head onto Mel’s chest, sitting between their open legs.</p><p>A loud gasp broke their rest, though, as they turned around to look at the wooden stairs.</p><p>“I feel like I’m invading something…” Yeosang mumbled, with flushed cheeks – from shame or ale, they weren’t sure. He turned around, heading back to the stairs, swaying slightly from side to side. “Sorry!”</p><p>With a groan, Seonghwa dropped down, neck-deep in the water.</p><p>“Shit.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Poor Yeo's eyes :')</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. X - Aurora.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Destiny is full of surprises for the Treasure crew.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warning: Someone dies. I cried a lot. Hope y'all will too.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first thing Mel and Seonghwa heard when they arrived at the main part of the building, the pub, was a snicker from Leo.</p>
<p>Both were clean, with damp hair, wearing their most comfortable clothes.</p>
<p>Hongjoong was seated at the outer part of the table, while Chan and Wooyoung occupied the seats beside him. At the other side, Leo and San snacked on some peanuts. Jongho flirted with some dude at the counter while Sky watched the whole display with a little smile, trying not to spill any drinks as they kept their chocolate colored eyes on the younger boy. Yunho, Mingi and Yeosang were nowhere to be found.</p>
<p>Seonghwa took the seat beside the british man, and Mel followed suit, sitting in front of their Captain.</p>
<p>“So…” San said, finger running to and fro the cup of ale he drank earlier. “Were the hot springs nice?”</p>
<p>Mel brought their coat closer to their neck, shivering a little, but nodded at their friend with a small smile.</p>
<p>“It was relaxing.” They mumbled, looking around the wide space that was the pub. “Where did the guys go?”</p>
<p>“Yeosang wanted to take a bath, so he left for the back, but then he came back red in the face and asked the guys to help him up to their room.” Wooyoung explained, taking a peanut from Leo with a smirk. “They must be asleep now, Mingi was already wasted by the time they went up.”</p>
<p>The doctor nodded, stifling a yawn with their hand.</p>
<p>“Does Sky cook?” They asked Hongjoong, who shook his head in denial. “I’m hungry.”</p>
<p>“They do have a cook, though.” Replied San. “A nice lady, not much older than the auntie that works at the market down the street.”</p>
<p>“Oh, that one!” Exclaimed Chan, nodding along. “She cooks really good meals…”</p>
<p>Both of them reminisced their encounters with the nice lady, while Seonghwa squinted, staring at Melina in deep thought.</p>
<p>“She reminds me of you…” He mumbled, and the doctor perked up at that.</p>
<p>“Her food?”</p>
<p>“No, she- you really look like her.”</p>
<p>The foreigner only blinked in obvious confusion, opening their mouth to respond-</p>
<p>-when a crash sounded.</p>
<p>The Treasure crew startled, looking over at the other side of the pub, where Jongho now fell flat on his ass, apparently pushed by one of the friends of the guy he was flirting with.</p>
<p>A few of his colleagues now crowded in front of the counter, and Hongjoong sighed as both he and Mel stood up, heading towards their crewmate.</p>
<p>“Is it too much if I ask for a few hours of tranquility?” Inquired the black-haired doctor, pulling the younger boy up by his arms, standing up in front of him.</p>
<p>“Probably.” Joong answered honestly, and they chuckled. “Something the matter, fellas?”</p>
<p>The guy who pushed Jongho, a tall man with tan skin, long, black hair and almond shaped eyes, pointed at the brunette.</p>
<p>“This dude was hitting on my man-”</p>
<p>“Gyu, he didn’t know.” A shorter – but still really tall – man, with lighter skin and dark brown hair tugged on ‘Gyu’s arm, trying to pull him back. “He laid back the flirting when I told him I have a partner.”</p>
<p>“It didn’t look like it, honestly.” Another guy, this time with auburn hair and chubby cheeks, piped up, gaining a sharp glare from a shorter, silver-haired man. “Just saying, hyung.”</p>
<p>“I just told him a joke, and he was laughing at it, you dumbass!” Said Gyu’s partner, angry at the way the man reacted. “You have to stop overreacting!”</p>
<p>“It’s been 22 years already,” Retorted a small voice from behind the auburn-haired boy, and Mel blinked. “do you think he will stop being a dumbass now?”</p>
<p>Once, twice.</p>
<p>Then, they ignored the apologizing giant in front of them, in favor of trying to peek over the boy’s shoulders.</p>
<p>“Hey, what are you trying to do?” Asked the silver-haired one, making the doctor flush bright pink. “Kwan, step aside for a second, will you?”</p>
<p>“Aye, Captain.”</p>
<p>The auburn-haired boy (‘Kwan’, apparently) complied to his Captain’s order, stepping aside from the little flock of people, revealing a small form behind himself.</p>
<p>A man, a few centimeters shorter than Mel (Still taller than Sky, though), with short black hair, and a little mole placed under his left eye; pretty, dark-brown eyes stared up at the doctor, widening in realization, just as they stared back with teary eyes.</p>
<p>“Is it-” They started, but the man was faster; he walked up to their taller form, bringing them into a tight hug. They hugged back just as tightly, sobbing into the man’s shoulder. “It’s really you!”</p>
<p>Both parties watched the display with confused glances. Seonghwa and San walked up to the scene, while their crewmates just watched from afar; Wooyoung with a knowing look, smiling at his friend’s realization.</p>
<p>“Sorry, who is who?” Kwan asked, gaining a sharp slap on the back of the head by their Captain. “Ow, Cheol hyung!”</p>
<p>“Leave them be,” The man said, looking back at the remnants of his crew, who now walked up to them. “it must be nice finding an old friend.”</p>
<p>The man let go of Mel first, wiping away their tears with his thumb. He smiled, pinching the younger pirate’s cheek.</p>
<p>“Don’t get all sappy on me now, hey.” He said, and the doctor smiled. “I’m glad you’re safe.”</p>
<p>“Me too. It’s thanks to you, though, Jihoon.” They answered, looking down. “You became a pirate?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Ji mumbled, embarrassed at the fact that he showed a softer side in front of his crewmates, who sported sly smiles. “Turns out the scholar life isn’t as nice as the pirate one.”</p>
<p>“Wait,” Interrupted Jongho, wide eyed. “you’re Jihoon? <strong>The </strong>Jihoon?”</p>
<p>“The one who saved our dear friend slash doctor slash stabber-” Completed San, shutting up as Mel glared at him.</p>
<p>“Oh, you’re Mel? The Mel who beat up a guard who tried to violate a young girl on the sugar cane plantation and captured our dear Jihoon’s love and lust?” Piped up a pretty, blonde man, smiling down at Jihoon as the shorter man glared at him.</p>
<p>Mel snorted, cheeks and ears flushing bright red as they heard the crewmate’s bickering.</p>
<p>“You didn’t tell us about that one.” Seonghwa said softly, and Mel gripped his hand in theirs, lacing their fingers together.</p>
<p>“It wasn’t worth mentioning, really.” They answered, smiling up at him.</p>
<p>San tried not to gag.</p>
<p>A few minutes later, both crews were seated around three tables Sky told them to pull together, as there were 21 of them around the place; they talked, drank, and joked around as if they knew each other for years.</p>
<p>“So you guys got together after that?” The doctor asked Minghao, a cute, tall member of the Hana’s crew, who had his arm thrown around Jihoon’s shoulders.</p>
<p>“Yeah!” He laughed, smiling at the way his partner’s cheeks lit up. “He stayed with me even after I went through the whole transition.”</p>
<p>“That’s so cute, seriously.” Mumbled Mel, playing with Hwa’s fingers under the table. “He saved our lives, huh?”</p>
<p>“Truly.”</p>
<p>The foreigner leaned their head against the quartermaster’s shoulder, smiling at the way everyone was extremely happy; the guys were having fun, Mingyu had taken a liking to Jongho after they actually talked, and his partner, Wonwoo, was dozing off at their side.</p>
<p>The other guys were playing a drinking game, while Minghao and Jihoon whispered something between themselves, and Hongjoong was seated at the counter, kissing all over Sky’s face, whom giggled like a kid at the blatant affection.</p>
<p>“Hwa,” Mel mumbled, squeezing his hand. “let’s go up to our room. You’re almost falling asleep.”</p>
<p>“Mmkay.” He hummed, standing up. “Good night, mates.”</p>
<p>A chorus of ‘good night!’s was heard, and the pirates bounded up the stairs, hand in hand.</p>
<p>No one questioned that.</p>
<p>With a sigh, Seonghwa slumped against the soft mattress, nuzzling his face into the pillow. Mel laid down beside him, staring at his sleepy face illuminated by the bright, full moon outside their window.</p>
<p>“It’s rude to stare, you know.” The man said with a small grin, opening one eye.</p>
<p>“Sorry, you’re just really pretty.” The doctor answered, reaching up to caress Seonghwa’s cheek. “I love you, Hwa.”</p>
<p>The quartermaster sighed again, pulling the foreigner closer by their waist, and hid his face in the crook of their neck, admiring the purple and red marks that laid there.</p>
<p>“I love you, to the moon and beyond.” He whispered, pecking the skin. “I would fuck you to oblivion right now, if you wanted, but I’m too tired.”</p>
<p>Mel’s body shook with laughter, and they caressed Seonghwa’s head.</p>
<p>“I would love that, but I am also tired.”</p>
<p>“In the morning, then.” He mumbled, already falling asleep. “I promise.”</p>
<p>“I’ll hold you to that, love.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Seonghwa cursed his heavy sleep habits, walking out of the pub as the sun peaked out from the horizon. As soon as he woke up and couldn’t find the doctor, he got worried, walking through the whole building looking for them, only to stop as he heard Sky’s drowsy voice from the hallway.</p>
<p>“They wanted to buy some bread for you,” The orange-haired foreigner said, wearing only Hongjoong’s long sleeved shirt, coming down to their knees. “at the bakery down the street, the one my cook’s family owns.”</p>
<p>The quartermaster thanked them curtly, rushing out of the building to find his lover.</p>
<p>With a few quick steps – Everyone say ‘thank you, long legs’! -, he arrived at the bakery’s entry, where Melina’s and Seungkwan’s voices could be heard from inside the small place.</p>
<p>“He only makes stale bread, and we all eat it like it’s tasty, but we all know it’s not.” Said Seungkwan in a serious voice, and Mel snickered by his side.</p>
<p>“Hwa made stale bread too, but I took over that for him. It’s not the best bread, but at least it’s edible.”</p>
<p>“You shouldn’t badmouth someone when they’re away, you know.” Exclaimed the man, walking up to the duo, stopping right beside his lover.</p>
<p>“Sorry.” They said, leaning up to peck his lips. “Did you sleep well?”</p>
<p>“Very.” He answered, while Seungkwan called out for the baker. “I got scared when I didn’t find you, though. If I remember correctly, there’s a promise I need to fulfill.”</p>
<p>The doctor flushed, smiling as they heard light steps coming from the back of the bakery.</p>
<p>“We need energy to make that happen.” They answered, facing the counter. “I just needed to get some bread first.”</p>
<p>“Hmm, you’re right.”</p>
<p>Seungkwan exclaimed a ‘finally!’ as a small boy appeared behind the counter, barely reaching it, stepping onto a small stool to greet the customers.</p>
<p>“My parents will be out in a minute!” He said in a heavy accent, and then, his eyes fell onto the doctor’s form. “We- wait-”</p>
<p>Melina felt all the air escape their lungs as they stared at the boy, who scrambled to get down from the stool and rounded the counter in incredible speed.</p>
<p>The boy with light brown eyes and curly, dark blonde hair, and chubby cheeks, who hugged the pirate’s midriff with incredible strength.</p>
<p>The boy who kept Melina awake for the first five years of his life, always asking them to go to the lavatory, because he didn’t want to wet his bed; the boy who they saw in their dreams and now stood right in front of them, as if it was a badly imagined illusion-</p>
<p>“Miguel?” A lady called out, walking up to the counter. “I told you to wait here…”</p>
<p>Mel let out a sob as they hugged the boy back, fingers delving into the thick curls that were much longer than when they left, almost a year before.</p>
<p>“Mom!” The doctor wailed, and the lady lifted her glasses up to her eyes, not sure she was seeing things right. As soon as she did, though, she also stumbled around the counter, trapping the taller form in a hug.</p>
<p>Seonghwa widened his eyes in realization, that the reason his lover looked like the lady who cooked in Sky’s pub was because they were her <em>child</em>.</p>
<p>Just like the other two, the baker finally appeared behind the counter, finding the strange scene in front of him. When Mel finally looked up, his hand, holding a slice of bread, hung down in shock, and his eyes widened.</p>
<p>“Hey, dad.” They said, face wet with tears. “Fancy seeing you here.”</p>
<p>And, just like the rest of his family, he rounded the counter in a haste, hugging the doctor tightly, just as his wife let go of her child.</p>
<p>“You’re alive,” He mumbled, warm tears flowing down his face freely. “God, you’re alive!”</p>
<p>“I am.” They said, with a small chuckle.</p>
<p>The baker let go of them after a few seconds, while Miguel still hugged them tightly, not letting go.</p>
<p>“I missed you so much, Mel.” The boy said, looking up at his sibling with teary eyes. “I wanted to go after you, but no one knew where you were.”</p>
<p>“We moved here a couple months after you were taken away.” Said their mom, wiping away her tears. “Who knew you would appear after so long!”</p>
<p>“I’m glad you’re fine.” Mumbled their dad, glancing at Seonghwa and Seungkwan. “And who might you be?”</p>
<p>“I’m Seungkwan, Mel’s friend.” The older pirate said, then motioned to Seonghwa. “And this is their lo-”</p>
<p>“I’m Seonghwa, their crewmate… and husband.”</p>
<p>Mel looked at Hwa with a curious glance, and he smiled - the cute, pained one.</p>
<p>“Oh my!” The woman exclaimed, finally recognizing the pirate. “You’re that handsome fella from the Treasure- wait, you’re a crewmate?”</p>
<p>“You became a pirate?” Asked their father - not with a scolding tone, that surprised the foreigner. “And married one?”</p>
<p>“It’s kind of a long story…” They said, and Miguel finally detached himself from them. “I’m going back at the pub for a little, going to tell my friends I’m going to go out for a little, and then I’ll come back and tell you everything.”</p>
<p>“That’s fine.” Said their dad, still a little teary. “I’m sorry… about everything.”</p>
<p>“There’s nothing to apologize for, dad.” They answered, kissing the top of their brother’s head. “I’ve forgiven you a long time ago.”</p>
<p>With another tight hug and mumbled ‘I love you’s, the three pirates left the bakery with a baguette each. Mel sniffled from time to time, holding Seonghwa’s hand tightly.</p>
<p>“It’s crazy how things happen.” They mumbled, smiling up at the rising sun. “I’m glad I came to Tortuga.”</p>
<p>Seungkwan smiled at his new friend, opening his mouth to say something,</p>
<p>
  <em>when a gunshot rang through the air.</em>
</p>
<p>Mel winced, and the boy looked behind them, eyes widening as he saw a blonde redcoat a few meters behind them, gun in hand, smoke escaping the barrel.</p>
<p>He snatched his own pistol from his hip then, raising it and shooting at the british. The man fell down to the ground with a yell, and Seonghwa recognized him as one of the guards who took Yunho away in Comprido island.</p>
<p>His attention was taken away by his lover, who collapsed to the ground on their knees, baguette forgotten on the dirty sidewalk. Their hand went around their midriff, to the back of their right hip, and they winced again as it touched the flesh, blood dripping onto their shirt and pants and hand and the sidewalk-</p>
<p>“Fuck.” They finally said, as Seonghwa dropped to his knees in front of them, holding their body as it swayed to the side.</p>
<p>“Shit, no.” He whispered, voice raising gradually to a pained scream. “No, no, no!”</p>
<p>“Hwa, listen,” They sighed, hearing a last gunshot behind them. “Listen to me, please, Hwa.”</p>
<p>Seungkwan ran past the duo, rushing to the pub.</p>
<p>“By the amount of blood seeping out, the bullet hit my femoral artery.” Mel said, lifting their bloody hand to hold Seonghwa’s cheeks, now wet with salty tears. “I’m going to last two to three minutes, max.”</p>
<p>“No, you- I’m going to find someone-”</p>
<p>“No one can save me Hwa. I’m sorry.” They mumbled, kissing away the tears on the man’s face. “Please, listen to me.”</p>
<p>He hiccupped a few times, nodding his head.</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>“I need you to tell my family that I love them, and that I’m sorry I can’t see them anymore.” The doctor mumbled, slumping against Hwa’s body. “Tell my other family, the crew, that I love all of them very much and I will look over them from whatever place I’m going to end up at.”</p>
<p>With a sigh, they used the last bit of strength they had, and kissed Seonghwa for a few seconds, savoring the last bit of affection they would have.</p>
<p>“And I want you to remember me. The me who loves you, the me who walked around the ship scolding everyone and the me who stabs redcoats at every possible chance. The strong me, the one who was alive. Can you do that for me?”</p>
<p>Distant shouts rang through Mel’s ears, and they smiled as Seonghwa cradled their body in his arms, sobbing.</p>
<p>“I- I can do that.”</p>
<p>“Good.” They said, gripping one of his arms. “Shit, this hurts.”</p>
<p>“I love you,” The man mumbled, and the doctor’s vision went hazy – not because of the lack of glasses this time. “I love you so much. I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“I love you too, Hwa.”</p>
<p>A wail echoed down the street, and Mel sniffled, eyes heavy.</p>
<p>“Love all of you. Thank you for being my family.”</p>
<p>Everything went dark.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This isn't the end, don't @ me!!!!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Epilogue.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Melina knows something is weird.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Melina woke up crying.</p>
<p>The Brazilian student straightened up in their chair with a startled noise, wiping at their eyes and cheeks, wet with warm tears. They looked around the bright changing room, snatching their glasses from the table in which they napped, putting them over their onyx colored eyes.</p>
<p>A small beep resonated within the room and they checked their phone, seeing a message from their friend.</p>
<p><strong>BooBoo Seungkwan:</strong> I’m going to the café when ur shift ends to give u back ur notes, k?</p>
<p><strong>BooBoo Seungkwan: </strong>Hoon and Hao are going with me!</p>
<p><strong>You:</strong> K, bub.</p>
<p>With a groan they stood up, stuffing their phone into their jean pants’ front pocket, walking over to the full-wall mirror on the wall near the metal lockers.</p>
<p>They lifted their pastel yellow shirt up, with their back facing the mirror.</p>
<p>A big, brown, round birthmark was settled on the skin, right where they were shot in the dream.</p>
<p>The door to the room opened and closed quickly, and a bright orange head popped into Mel’s field of vision through the mirror.</p>
<p>“What’s up?” Their roommate slash friend slash coworker asked, face morphing into an expression of familiarity as soon as they saw the birthmark. “Dreams again, huh?”</p>
<p>“I died, this time.” They mumbled, letting go of the shirt, watching as the clothing covered all the exposed skin. “Found an old friend, my biological family, and then died because of a fucking redcoat I failed to kill before.”</p>
<p>“Fuck redcoats, honestly.” Said their friend, watching as they turned around with a sigh. “Your eyes are red, dude.”</p>
<p>“I woke up crying.” They chuckled, hugging their tiny friend, swaying them back and forth. “It was really sad, Sky.”</p>
<p>“Bet.” Sky said, finally breathing right as Mel let go of them. “We have to get back, though. Your break’s over, I came to wake you up.”</p>
<p>“Sure.” Mumbled the Brazilian, wearing their apron over their shirt, tying the knot behind their back with expertise.</p>
<p>They went out of the door, closing it behind their back. Sky went back to their spot at the machinery counter, and Mel took their place at the register, stifling a yawn.</p>
<p>From a few tables away, familiar faces waved at them – the triple, Yunho, Mingi and Yeosang, all wearing shirts with ‘this is my boyfriend’ written on them, pointing at each other; Wooyoung, the one who always cheered them up in the classes they shared, and his boyfriend, the british exchange student, Leo; Jongho, the junior they helped in his first few weeks at university and his senior at the Music course, Chan Oh, who always was scolded by Mel, by the unhealthy quantity of coffee he always drank daily. Near them was Sky’s boyfriend, Hongjoong, who composed something with the help of Chan.</p>
<p>“He didn’t arrive yet.” Said Mel’s coworker, the baker, San. “He overslept today. Had a few things to finish late at night yesterday.”</p>
<p>“I have no idea who you’re talking about.” Answered the student, fiddling with their fingers, staring at their friend’s smug face. “How the fuck do you know all that, San?!”</p>
<p>The red and black haired man smiled widely, dimples and all.</p>
<p>“You forgot I’m his roommate?”</p>
<p>“Maybe.”</p>
<p>“You know,” Piped up Sky, approaching their friends. “it’s painful how you pine for each other.”</p>
<p>“I pine for him, not the contrary.” Mumbled the waiter, thinking about all the conversations and moments shared with said male. “And I do not trust your ‘radar’, either of you. Unless he has told you directly that he likes me, I won’t make a move.”</p>
<p>“Well, he told me.” Said Hongjoong, popping up by the counter, asking their partner for a refill with a cute smile. “Does that count?”</p>
<p>“You fucking with me, Hongjoong? You know I can deck you, right?”</p>
<p>“I’m serious!” The male exclaimed, putting up four fingers. “He said it four times in total, and he whines about something you did at least twice every day. How did you not notice?”</p>
<p>“I noticed, Joong.” They mumbled, flushing. “Still, I can’t trust my own judgement over that, because I’m in love with him.”</p>
<p>“He even dreams about you.” Said the taller male, grabbing his cup, thanking Sky with a smile.</p>
<p>“Wait, what?”</p>
<p>As Hongjoong opened his mouth to answer, the bell above the entrance door chimed, and a gust of wind blew over his papers, flying all over his seat. With a pained ‘shit!’ he ran towards the pages, placing his cup on the table, as to not make a bigger mess.</p>
<p>Mel looked up at the person who entered the café, eyes widening in realization.</p>
<p>“Evening, guys!” Exclaimed Seonghwa, smiling widely at the Brazilian, though not looking directly at their eyes. “Evening, Mel.”</p>
<p>“Hey, Hwa.” They answered, blinking. “The usual?”</p>
<p>“Please.” He said, extending the exact amount of money for the drink towards his shorter friend.</p>
<p>Mel nodded at Sky, who set to prepare an iced americano.</p>
<p>The student stared at the man; he wore a white shirt today, with a leather jacket over it, and a thin leather choker was placed over his throat, with a bronze ship’s steering wheel pendant hanging from it.</p>
<p>Stunning, as usual.</p>
<p>Looking up, the Brazilian saw the way his eyes were puffy and rimmed red, and the tip of his nose was a reddish color.</p>
<p>“Hwa?” They whispered, and the man finally looked at them, only to avert his eyes again. “What happened?”</p>
<p>Sky walked up to the counter, handing the black-haired man his cup.</p>
<p>With a nod, he turned around, and whispered back.</p>
<p>“You died.”</p>
<p>Mel’s eyes widened as the words finally clicked on their head, and Seonghwa walked out the door, bidding goodbye to his friends.</p>
<p>“It’s not- Just a dream, fuck!” Exclaimed the Brazilian, turning around to their startled coworkers. “San, please take over the register for me, I’ll come back!”</p>
<p>The man looked confused, but nodded nonetheless as the foreigner ran out of the café with a frantic look on their face; they looked left and right, until they finally spotted Hwa’s tall frame heading towards the small park near the café.</p>
<p>They ran, observing as he sat down on one of the benches, sipping his coffee with a sullen expression.</p>
<p>“Hwa!” Mel yelled, startling some people who passed by, but it didn’t bother them. “Wait up!”</p>
<p>The black-haired foreigner finally caught up to the man, stopping in front of the bench. Their blue bangs swished with the wind, almost getting into their eyes, but it didn’t matter.</p>
<p>What mattered was this; Seonghwa and them, alive, together once again.</p>
<p>“I’m- Fuck, how do I say this…” They huffed, as the korean man looked up in surprise. “You… my husband?”</p>
<p>Seonghwa looked confused for a second, until they talked once again.</p>
<p>“You didn’t propose to me, but were my husband anyways, weren’t you?”</p>
<p>
  <em>It clicked.</em>
</p>
<p>Hwa’s eyes teared up, and he placed his cup on the bench as he stood up, bringing his friend into a tight hug.</p>
<p>“I couldn’t do anything.” He sobbed, and Mel gripped his arms tightly. “I just watched you die.”</p>
<p>“It’s not your fault.” They said. “Fucking redcoats.”</p>
<p>Hwa snickered, looking down at his friend.</p>
<p>“It’s so funny how you didn’t kill anyone this time, seeing as everything irks you.”</p>
<p>“Now I can actually get arrested, you know.” They laughed. “Can’t go around announcing my student slash coffee shop worker slash stabber title. It wouldn’t look good.”</p>
<p>Seonghwa sighed, cupping Mel’s cheeks with his hands.</p>
<p>“I’m so glad we could meet again. I’m glad you’re still the Mel I love.”</p>
<p> “Last time wasn’t fair.” They said, blinking up at the man. “But this time will be.”</p>
<p>“I sure fucking hope so.” Hwa said, licking his lips. “Can I…”</p>
<p>“Ask me for permission and I will deck you.”</p>
<p>The man laughed, leaning down and capturing Mel’s lips in a sweet, although desperate kiss. All their feelings were pouring out; all the love, the longing – all the time they spent apart, albeit together.</p>
<p>“I love you, Hwa.” Melina mumbled against his lips, hugging the man’s waist. “So much.”</p>
<p>“Love you too, darling.” He whispered back, resting his forehead against theirs. “To the moon and beyond.”</p>
<p>A snicker brought the duo out of their bubble, only to find Wooyoung with his cellphone in hand. The silver-haired man startled as they looked back at him, turning around and running back to the café.</p>
<p>“Come back to the café with me?” Mel asked, picking up Hwa’s cup of coffee from the bench. “My shift ends in 15.”</p>
<p>“Sure, love.” He answered, lacing their fingers together and placing a peck to the top of their head. “Can we go to your place after?”</p>
<p>“Yep!” They nodded, with a small smile.</p>
<p>“Good.” Hwa grinned. “I still have a promise to fulfill.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope everyone enjoyed this ride!! I sure did :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Bonus: Inception.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jongho finds some objects from his ancestors at his house, and decides to share the discovery with his friends.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A bonus, yes, because I watched pirates of the caribbean the other day and someone yelled out 'redcoats!' and I had to write this bc i missed it so much-<br/>Please note that Haneul means Sky! It will make sense soon, I promise.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Look what I found!”</p><p>Melina looked up from their algebra textbook, leaning away from the café counter. Jongho ran inside the place with an excited look on his face, startling his friends (the only clients inside at the moment, thankfully) with his shouts. In his arms, he carried a small cardboard box, that shook with every step taken, making various sounds come from inside.</p><p>Sky and their curly-haired friend rounded the counter, walking towards the table where their friends were gathered.</p><p>Jongho set down the box on the table, atop some of Hongjoong’s papers - which caused a strangled noise of despair to leave his throat, but Sky shut him up with a back hug, leaning over the cushioned seat to reach for their boyfriend.</p><p>Wooyoung tried to peek inside the box, to no avail, as the youngest member of their friend group shot him a glare.</p><p>Leo had to comfort him.</p><p>Yeosang, Mingi and Yunho all helped Chan move the empty coffee mugs out of the way, San tried not to slip on the small space of the floor he just mopped, and Seonghwa made grabby motions towards Melina, who only stared at him with a ‘really? Here?’ expression on their face.</p><p>They ended up sitting down, with the man on their lap.</p><p>“As you all know, my family is full of shi-”</p><p>“Can’t you respect other people, at least today, kid?” Mel scolded, receiving a grimace in response.</p><p>“-shicrets.” Completed the boy, and San snickered. “But! Today I found this old box filled with things from my ancestors, which is not really a big deal because we have a really neat family tree from waaaaaay back.”</p><p>“It’s still a nice thing, though.” Yeosang piped up, and they all nodded, agreeing.</p><p>“So, like the good son I am, I brought all these documents and some relics for my friends to see.”</p><p>“Perfect, man.” Wooyoung mumbled, gesturing at the box. “Can you open it already?”</p><p>With a huff, the red-haired student opened the box, placing all of the items on the table (after Joong collected his papers).</p><p>Thus, chaos began.</p><p>Leo looked over a few papers, Mingi fiddled with a kid’s wooden toy, Sky scanned a few drawings, Hongjoong found a thin leather strap that had to be at least 150 years old, Seonghwa grabbed a silver compass-</p><p>“Wait, hold the fuck up,” Melina exclaimed, startling their boyfriend as they cupped his hands with theirs. “Let me just- turn it around, please.”</p><p>Seonghwa complied, turning the compass around.</p><p>There, engraved with neat letters, was <strong>CHJ</strong>.</p><p>“This paper is kind of rotten, but doesn’t this look like your brother, Mel?” Sky asked, handing their friend one of the drawings they grabbed.</p><p>The Brazilian held the paper with trembling fingers, noticing a few brown spots on the yellowed paper, and right in the center, the drawing of a boy with round cheeks, bright, curious eyes and curly hair.</p><p>Under it, a signature.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Max.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“Jongho, are you,” Melina gulped, still trembling as realization dawned upon them. “Positively sure that these things belonged to your ancestors?”</p><p>The red-haired student looked up at his friend and nodded in agreement, confused as to why they looked so shaken up.</p><p>Seonghwa finally connected the dots.</p><p>“What was your ancestor's name, Jongho? The one who owned these drawings and this compass?” He asked, and the younger boy asked Leo for one of the papers.</p><p>Then, as he showed them the paper, Melina felt their heart stop as they read what was written in english words.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>The treasure crew hereby swears to keep sailing for as long as their bodies and minds can carry the weight of the sea. Here, on the date of July 17<sup>th</sup>, 1845, we board our ship with the promise of great Treasures waiting for us both in life and death.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>May our journey be long, and the winds, gentle. May the sea hear our prayers, for it has protected us all these years.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Your captain, Choi Hongjoong.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>His spouse, Choi Haneul.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Your Quartermaster, Choi Seonghwa.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Your crew; Lim Yunho.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Lee Chan.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Leonard Acker.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Park Yeosang.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Jung San.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Bang Mingi.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Yoon Wooyoung.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Jeon Jongho.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Forever our doctor, cook and stabber, Max.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>May we find each other on another life.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>May it be kind to us all.</em> </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“It’s the first two ones, Choi Hongjoong and Haneul.”</p><p>Mel only noticed they were crying when Seonghwa turned around in their lap, in favor of taking off their glasses and wipe their eyes.</p><p>“Don’t cry!” Yunho exclaimed, fumbling on the opposite side of the table, trying to reach to his friend.</p><p>“Why are you crying, actually?” Leo asked, and Jongho gave the paper back to Wooyoung, who kept trying to read it.</p><p>“It’s sad.” They answered, and a hiccup left their throat. “It’s really sad, but I’m also happy.”</p><p>Hwa smiled as they hugged his midriff, hiding their face on the crook of his neck.</p><p>“You make no sense, but I won’t judge.” Said San, receiving a sharp slap on the back of his head from no one else than Hongjoong. “Ow, hyung!”</p><p>The chatter started once again, little by little, until it was at full volume.</p><p>They all joked, cursed and made promises, just like they all did once, at a harder time, when they all belonged not in land, but out in the sea.</p><p>Nothing changed.</p><p>They found each other again.</p><p>“Maybe the sea granted us our wish?” Whispered Melina to Seonghwa, who only smiled, pecking their forehead.</p><p>“I’m sure of it.”</p><p>Then, Wooyoung shushed them all.</p><p>“Don’t you all think it’s weird? All our names are here!”</p><p>Jongho scowled at the man, who whined.</p><p>“Come on!”</p><p>“It’s not a conspiracy, Wooyoung. The surnames aren’t even the same!”</p><p>“I’m just saying-”</p><p>“Shut up, Woo!”</p><p>Nothing changed.</p><p>And they wouldn’t want it to, anyway.</p><p>
  <em>~fin~</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I wheezed writing 'shicrets' and cried writing the oath, but wow. It was wild. Thank you for sticking with me, and may all your sweet dreams come true!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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